Contact Lenses Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Gas Permeable, Silicone Hydrogel), By Design (Spherical, Multifocal), By Application, By Distribution Channel, By Usage, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global contact lenses market size was valued at USD 14.6 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3% from 2022 to 2030. A corrective lens is preferably used to correct refractive errors and compensate for visual deficiencies such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism. Thus, a rise in graphic inaccuracies is expected to drive the market over the forecast period further. The increasing number of outdoor activities is further boosting the market growth.  

A significant number of research and development activities have been used in optics and optometry to advance the technology. Advances such as the launch of dynamic soft contact lenses integrated with advanced technology have propelled the growth of the market for contact lenses. For instance, In November 2018, IMEC and SEED Co. Ltd, an international R&D hub, entered into a collaborative partnership to develop a smart contact lens. This contact lens will include various components such as a radio-frequency antenna that would suffice the wireless energy transfer, a LED light, and an ultra-thin silicon microchip. Moreover, a thin stretchable film is used to make the interconnections.

Enhance awareness concerning the benefit of detachable lenses over reusable lenses, such as avoiding cleaning solution-related adverse effects, including eye discoloration. Furthermore, the market's leading players are involved in creating awareness campaigns and launching innovative products, which are predicted to promote the expansion of daily disposables. For example, in January 2021, Alcon Vision LLC, an eye care product manufacturer, introduced PRECISION1 for Astigmatism, a daily disposable silicone hydrogel (SiHy) lens developed for astigmatic patients in the U.S. 

The soft lens or silicone hydrogel segment has a wide range of applications and is one of the prominent contributors to the growth of the market for contact lenses. Soft contact lenses are made up of flexible, soft plastics such as silicone hydrogel, providing easy eye adaptability and enhanced comfort. It is extensively used for correcting ametropia. They also permit more oxygen to pass through to the wearer’s cornea. Thus, an increase in oxygen permeability helps enhance the health and comfort of the wearer’s eye by reducing dryness and itching. For example, in October 2020, Bausch + Lomb, a world-leading eye health company of Bausch Health Companies Inc., officially launched the Bausch + Lomb INFUSETM silicone hydrogel (SiHy) daily disposable contact lens to help ocular surface homeostasis and reduce the symptoms of contact lens dryness.,

The need to eliminate spectacles and adopt ‘Plano’ sunglasses to enhance aesthetic appearance drives the market for contact lenses. The growing innovations in contact lenses have increased the adoption of contact lenses. For instance, In March 2019, Alcon Vision LLC announced the launch of AcrySof IQ PanOptix Trifocal IOL in the United States. It is a trifocal lens used for cataract surgery patients. This trifocal lens can be used for distance, intermediate, and near vision. Rising developments in contact lenses with drug-delivering capabilities are further expected to drive the market over the forecast period. Increasing demand for daily disposable contact lenses is expected to create potential growth opportunities in the market for contact lenses.

Material Insights

The silicone hydrogel lens segment dominated the market for contact lenses and accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 88.4% in 2021. Silicone hydrogel lenses offer a wide range of benefits, including greater comfort and flexibility than gas-permeable lenses. Therefore, it is more preferred by the users than other lenses. The hybrid lens segment is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. A hybrid lens is a combination of gas permeable and silicone hydrogel. It consists of an RGP central zone surrounded by a soft peripheral skirt made of soft or silicone hydrogel material.

It provides the wearing comfort of a soft lens and visual clarity of an RGP lens. The increased use of hybrid lenses by people with astigmatism and keratoconus is expected to impact segment growth favorably. Gas Permeable is more breathable than its counterparts, which reduces the risk of infection. However, this segment is expected to continue losing market share because of the considerable benefits associated with soft lenses.

Design Insights

The spherical lens segment led the market for contact lenses and accounted for the largest revenue share of 61.8% in 2021. Based on designs, the contact lenses industry is segmented into multifocal, spherical, toric, and others, including orthokeratology or ortho-k lenses. The multifocal lenses segment is expected to witness moderate demand due to the ability of these lenses to incorporate multiple prescriptions. They are primarily used for treating age-related ophthalmic disorders such as presbyopia. It offers a variety of benefits, such as improved visual acuity for users that need to incorporate multiple prescriptions in a single lens. For instance, the FDA recently approved CooperVision Biofinity toric Multifocal Contact Lenses. The device expands the range of Biofinity toric lenses for presbyopia patients.

Toric Lenses are used to correct astigmatism problems that arise from a variation in the cornea's curvature. The demand for toric lenses is expected to increase substantially with a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period. The demand for ortho-k is expected to grow, with increasing incidences of myopia and more prolonged use of tablets, laptops, and smartphones causing digital eye strain. Orthokeratology (Ortho K) is a recent technological advancement that reshapes the cornea to improve vision which involves wearing specially developed overnight contact lenses to change the structure of the eyes during sleep.

Application Insights

The corrective lens segment dominates the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 44.0% in 2021. The segment is anticipated to portray the highest CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period. Multifocal, bifocal, toric, and spherical are majorly recognized corrective lenses. Therapeutic contact lenses are fitted with a therapeutic goal and help in ocular pain relief, corneal healing, and others.

The therapeutic application segment accounted for a substantial portion of the total market share in 2021. The segment is expected to witness a reduction in market share over the forecast period as the lenses can also be used to deliver drugs to the cornea. The cosmetic lens industry is anticipated to witness colossal growth opportunities due to the surging demand for an improved aesthetic appeal of eyes. The cosmetic segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period.

Distribution Insights

The retail segment led the market for contact lenses and accounted for the largest revenue share of 60.4% in 2021. The retail store segment is growing due to manufacturers' initiative to produce advanced products at very affordable prices at retail stores, which are again combined with extra discounts offered by retail sellers. Additionally, the strong growth of retail pharmacies in developed countries enhances the development of this segment.

The majority of the lenses manufactured are distributed through independent eye-care professionals. Due to this, online retailing accounts for the smallest share. As a result, market penetration in the ECP channel is a crucial opportunity to gain profits. The e-commerce distribution channel is anticipated to portray the highest CAGR of 5.6% over the forecast period.

In the past, contact lenses required daily removal and involved broad cleaning regimens. Besides, the consumer generally purchased eye lenses from eye practitioners. Still, the introduction of disposable soft contact lenses that consumers wear for only a few weeks and the advancement of non-practitioner lens sellers, namely e-commerce contact lens retailers, changed the market dynamics. The e-commerce segment has simplified distribution and has enabled manufacturers to expand their geographical footprint across the globe.

Usage Insights

The daily disposable lens segment dominated the market for contact lenses and accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 33.0% in 2021. The segment is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. Further, the segment is also expected to remain the dominant usage segment over the forecast period. The preference for daily disposable lenses has been rising because a new set of lenses provides greater comfort to the user. Hence, many players have initiated the development of daily disposable lenses. These lenses are considered the healthiest contact lenses by most users. Eye care professionals are also prescribing daily disposable lenses as they avoid problems associated with longer lens replacements.

The daily disposable lens is a soft and flexible plastic material widely used in an active lifestyle. Individuals are actively involved in sports activities, and others prefer using daily disposable lenses. Also, the adoption of these contact lenses is increasing owing to various health benefits. Vendors in the market are focusing on offering more significant rebates on the daily disposable lens to increase its adoption amongst users. The frequently disposable lens is replaced on a planned schedule of two weeks or months or quarterly. The traditional (reusable) lenses can be used for a long time and are more economical for full-time wearers.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the contact lenses market and accounted for a revenue share of 39.1% in 2021. The reason is that the growing number of patients affected by refractive errors and the high focus of the market players on strategic collaboration and partnership are some factors. For Instance, Johnson & Johnson Vision established a global strategic partnership with Menicon, a leading manufacturer of revolutionary lenses, in April of 2021. The goal of this partnership was to develop therapeutic glasses to combat the rising prevalence and progression of myopia in children.

To enhance the appearance of the eyes, consumers in Japan are significantly adopting cosmetic lenses, which has resulted in the immense growth of the market for contact lenses in the region. North America and Europe are highly penetrated markets in soft contact lenses. Thus, researchers and companies in these regions are exploring the diverse use of contact lenses through continuous research and development of innovative products.

Increase in purchasing power of consumers in Asia Pacific. Also, the U.S. has increased penetration in the U.S. regions as well. Sectors such as media and entertainment are substantially using cosmetic lenses, resulting in increased adoption of cosmetic lenses. The South American and Asia Pacific markets are expected to portray high growth rates over the forecast period. The market for contact lenses in China is expected to witness significant growth in the cosmetic lens segment due to the increased adoption of contact lenses.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The industry perceives growing market consolidations through mergers, collaborations, and acquisitions through strategic initiatives. This is primarily due to the market players' brand value and customer base and establishing a global footprint. Industry participants enter into long-term partnerships with suppliers and distributors to strengthen their product portfolio and geographical presence. For instance, in January 2019, Mark'Ennovy Personalized Care, S.L (MARK'ENNOVY), a contact lens manufacturer in Europe, announced its collaboration with Capricornia Contact Lens Pty Ltd, a contact lenses distributor, and manufacturer. With this collaboration, MARK'ENNOVY is expected to strengthen its customer care, distribution, and logistics. Some of the prominent players in the contact lenses market include:

• Essilor International S.A.

• Alcon Vision LLC

• Abbott Medical Optics, Inc.

• CooperVision, Inc.

• Hoya Corporation

• SynergEyes, Inc.

• X-Cel Specialty Contacts

• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

• Medennium

• Seed Co., Ltd.

• STAAR Surgical Company

Contact Lenses Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global contact lenses market report based on material, design, application, distribution channel, usage, and region:

• Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Gas Permeable

  • Silicone Hydrogel

  • Hybrid

• Design Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Spherical

  • Toric

  • Multifocal

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Corrective

  • Therapeutic

  • Cosmetic

  • Prosthetic

  • Lifestyle-oriented

• Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • E-commerce

  • Eye Care Practitioners

  • Retail

• Usage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Daily Disposable

  • Disposable

  • Frequently Replacement

  • Traditional

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • Singapore

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • UAE

    • Saudi Arabia