Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Data and Statistics

AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. It destroys the macula, the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision needed for seeing objects clearly. Prevalence estimates are on late AMD, involving neovascular AMD and geographic atrophy.

The risk of AMD increases with age. The disease is most common among older white Americans, affecting more than 14 percent of white Americans age 80 and older.

White Americans have the greatest likelihood of developing AMD. In 2010, 2.5 percent of white adults age 50 and older had AMD. By comparison, AMD affected 0.9 percent each of blacks, Hispanics and people of other races.

The majority of AMD cases occur among white Americans. In 2010, 89 percent of Americans with AMD were white. By comparison, black and Hispanic American populations each accounted for four percent of AMD cases.

Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and are therefore more likely to develop age-related eye diseases such as AMD. In 2010, 65 percent of AMD cases were in women compared with 35 percent in men.

By 2050, the estimated number of people with AMD is expected to more than double from 2.07 million to 5.44 million. White Americans will continue to account for the majority of cases. However, Hispanics will see the greatest rate of increase, with a nearly six-fold rise in the number of expected cases from 2010 to 2050.

As the proportion of people in the U.S. age 65 and older grows larger, more people are developing age-related diseases such as AMD. From 2000-2010, the number of people with AMD grew 18 percent, from 1.75 million to 2.07 million.