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Cataracts are common, especially in older people.

Some research in Australia found that:¹

• About 20 in 100 people between 65 and 74 had cataracts
• About 66 in 100 people over 85 had cataracts.

In the United States, 5 in 100 people have poor sight from cataracts by the age of 65. But by the age of 75, about half of people have problems seeing because of cataracts.¹

If your family is from India or another South Asian country, you have a higher chance of getting cataracts.² And you might get cataracts at a younger age, too.

In countries with good health care, such as the United States, cataracts are usually cured by surgery. But around the world, cataracts are the main cause of blindness. Worldwide, about 40 in 100 people who can't see are blind because of cataracts. The condition causes blindness in more than 15 million people.³

Blindness from cataracts happens mainly in countries that have limited health care, such as those in Asia and Africa. Most of the people from these countries wouldn't go blind if they had access to surgery.⁴ In the United States and the United Kingdom, less than 4 in 100 people who can't see are blind because of cataracts.