How Common Is Glaucoma? Prevalence and Risk in Australia

An estimated 300,000 Australians are living with glaucoma, and more than half of them do not know it. Glaucoma becomes far more common with age, which is why the question of how common it is matters most once you pass 50. Below are the current Australian figures, who carries the most risk, and when you should be having your eyes checked.

How Common Is Glaucoma in Australia?

Glaucoma Australia estimates that 300,000 Australians have glaucoma. It is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in this country, and because it usually develops without symptoms, over 50% of those cases have never been diagnosed.

The National Eye Health Survey put a measured figure against that estimate. Among non Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over, 1.5% had definite glaucoma, rising to 3.4% once probable cases were included. Primary open angle glaucoma accounts for around 90% of Australian cases.

If you are not sure what the disease actually does to the eye, our guide to what glaucoma is covers the causes, diagnosis and treatment in full.

How Glaucoma Risk Changes With Age

Age is the single strongest predictor of glaucoma. The condition can occur at any age, including at birth, but the odds climb sharply across a lifetime.

Because Australia has an ageing population, the number of people living with glaucoma is expected to keep rising even if the underlying rate stays flat.

Who Is Most at Risk of Glaucoma?

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but some groups carry a higher risk. You are more likely to develop it if you:

•   Have a family history of glaucoma
•   Have high eye pressure
•   Are aged over 50
•   Are of African or Asian descent
•   Have diabetes
•   Are short or long sighted
•   Have been on a prolonged course of corticosteroid medication
•   Experience migraines or obstructive sleep apnoea
•   Have a history of high or low blood pressure
•   Have had an eye injury or previous eye surgery

Tell your ophthalmologist about any of these. They change how often you should be checked, not whether you will definitely develop the condition. Plenty of people with several risk factors never develop glaucoma, and some people with none of them do.

Why So Many Cases Go Undiagnosed

Glaucoma is often called the silent thief of sight because the early stages usually produce no noticeable symptoms at all. Peripheral vision goes first, and the brain compensates well enough that most people notice nothing until the damage is advanced. Our guide on what glaucoma vision looks like shows what those early changes involve.

The National Eye Health Survey found that only 52.4% of non-Indigenous Australians with glaucoma knew they had it. Among Indigenous Australians with glaucoma, that figure was 28.0%. The gap is a screening access problem rather than a difference in the disease itself, and it is one of the clearest arguments for routine eye checks.

When Should You Be Screened for Glaucoma?

Because glaucoma damage cannot be reversed, detection is the only real lever. Glaucoma Australia recommends:

•   A comprehensive eye examination every two years from age 50
•   Starting earlier, from around age 40, if you have a family history of glaucoma or are of African or Asian descent
•   More frequent checks if your ophthalmologist has already identified raised eye pressure or other risk factors

A glaucoma check is quick, painless and done as part of a standard eye examination. Detected early, treatment can usually slow or halt further damage, which is why the screening interval matters more than any single symptom you might be watching for.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Australians have glaucoma?

Glaucoma Australia estimates that around 300,000 Australians have glaucoma. More than half of them have not been diagnosed, largely because the condition rarely causes symptoms in its early stages.

At what age does glaucoma usually start?

Glaucoma can occur at any age, but it becomes much more common after 50. About 1 in 200 people have glaucoma by age 40, rising to about 1 in 8 by age 80.

Is glaucoma becoming more common in Australia?

The number of Australians living with glaucoma is expected to increase as the population ages, since age is the strongest risk factor. Better detection also means more of the existing cases are being identified.

Book a glaucoma check

If you are over 50, or over 40 with a family history of glaucoma, it is worth having your eyes checked. Contact the ophthalmologists at Mornington Peninsula Eye Clinic on (03) 9070 3580 to book an appointment.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

Sources:

Glaucoma Australia. About Glaucoma.

https://glaucoma.org.au

Glaucoma Australia. Risk Factors for Glaucoma.

https://glaucoma.org.au/what-is-glaucoma/risk-factors-for-glaucoma

Keel S et al. Prevalence of glaucoma in the Australian National Eye Health Survey. British Journal of Ophthalmology.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29699984/

Centre for Eye Research Australia. Glaucoma.

https://www.cera.org.au/conditions/glaucoma/

Healthdirect Australia. Glaucoma.

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/glaucoma