Rising myopia rates threaten European health systems and widen inequality — UnionPress
One in four Europeans now suffers from shortsightedness, a trend linked to screen time and reduced outdoor activity, prompting calls for coordinated prevention measures.
Europe is confronting a public‑health challenge that was once thought to be confined to East Asia: a rapid rise in myopia, or shortsightedness. Three recent studies estimate that roughly 25% of the continent's population now requires corrective lenses, and in some countries the figure approaches 50% among young adults.
Research from the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands shows that the proportion of Dutch citizens with myopia has more than doubled in the past century, a pattern echoed across neighbouring nations. In the most extreme cases, such as parts of Sweden and Russia, prevalence hovers near half of the adult population.
Myopia develops when the eyeball elongates beyond the optimal length, causing distant objects to appear blurred. While glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery can restore clear vision, the condition carries long‑term risks. According to Andrzej Grzybowski, professor of ophthalmology and head of the European Myopia Network, about one in three people with myopia will suffer severe visual impairment by age 75, and more than three percent of Europeans already have high myopia, a form that dramatically raises the chances of glaucoma, cataracts and retinal detachment.
Experts point to two lifestyle shifts as the main drivers. First, children and teenagers now spend many hours each day focusing on near‑range objects, smartphones, tablets, laptops and even printed material. Sander Kneepkens, an ophthalmologist‑in‑training who co‑authored the Dutch study, explains that prolonged near work signals the eye to grow longer, a physiological response that can become permanent if it occurs during the critical growth period of early childhood and adolescence.
Second, outdoor exposure has fallen sharply. Natural daylight appears to slow the elongation of the eye, yet modern schooling and urban living keep youngsters indoors for most of the day. Studies consistently link higher academic demands and reduced recess time with higher myopia rates, and the same pattern emerges in higher education where desk‑bound study dominates.
The surge in myopia is not merely a medical issue. Grzybowski warns that the growing burden will erode productivity and strain national health budgets. Corrective lenses and regular eye examinations are often not fully covered by public health schemes, leaving families to shoulder the cost. In the Netherlands, a recent survey found that 16% of parents could not afford glasses for their children, a shortfall that can exacerbate educational disadvantages and limit future earnings.
Unequal access to eye care therefore deepens existing social divides. Children who cannot see clearly at school are more likely to fall behind, reinforcing cycles of disadvantage. The problem is compounded by the fact that severe myopia can lead to irreversible sight loss, imposing long‑term care costs on families and welfare systems.Only a handful of European states have introduced targeted myopia‑prevention programmes, and those that exist focus mainly on screening rather than proactive measures. There is no continent‑wide strategy to address the root causes.
Both Grzybowski and Kneepkens argue that Europe needs a unified response. Suggested steps include earlier and more frequent vision screening in schools, public campaigns that educate parents and teachers about the risks of excessive near work, and financial support for glasses or pharmacological treatments that can slow progression.
Perhaps the simplest intervention, according to Kneepkens, is to ensure that children spend more time outdoors. Policies that protect and expand schoolyard space, limit screen time in classrooms and encourage outdoor physical activity could deliver measurable benefits without heavy fiscal outlay.
National governments are beginning to take note. Finland, which reports a relatively low myopia prevalence of 11.9%, attributes its success to a strong emphasis on outdoor play in early childhood education. If other countries replicate such practices, the upward trend could be halted.
For the European Union, the issue intersects with broader health‑policy goals. The European Commission's health strategy calls for reduced health inequalities and stronger preventive care across member states. A coordinated myopia‑prevention framework would fit neatly within that agenda, offering a clear example of how cross‑border cooperation can protect citizens' well‑being while limiting future health‑care expenditures.
While the technology sector has not been silent, industry representatives argue that digital devices are essential for modern education and that the onus lies with parents and schools to manage usage responsibly. They point to advances in blue‑light filtering and ergonomics as ways to mitigate risk, but critics note that such measures address symptoms rather than the underlying behavioural patterns.
As Europe grapples with the implications of an increasingly myopic population, the debate is likely to centre on who should bear the cost of prevention, the state, families or private firms, and how best to balance educational needs with health considerations. What is clear is that without decisive, coordinated action, the continent may see a generation of workers whose visual health hampers both personal fulfilment and economic productivity.