LONDON—Mister Spex, a U.K.-based online retailer Mister Spex released The World Eye Care Coverage Index, an overview of the current status quo of eye health across the world. Using statistics from institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) that depict eye health as decreasing at an alarming rate, Mister Spex investigated which nations offered higher eyecare coverage over other countries. The retailer also investigated which nations offer more readily available access to eyecare for their citizens.

The research from Mister Spex is presented in a ranking, comparing data from 65 countries. The Index took into account factors such as percentage of the population that uses glasses or contact lenses, whether the country provides insurance coverage for eyecare, and which percentage of the population need eye care but cannot access it.

The United States ranked 40th for access to eyecare coverage and 20th for the percentage of the population using glasses (53 percent). According to Mr. Spex, this figure is likely to increase because many Internet users look at their screens for more than five hours per day, resulting in digital eye strain and other eyesight issues.

WHO research estimates a 27 percent increase in those suffering from vision impairment between 2010 and 2020. WHO projects that this will cost healthcare systems throughout the world $2.77 trillion and the world economy $760 billion from indirect consequences such as job, education and tax losses.

Visit www.misterspex.co.uk for a comprehensive chart of the 65 countries ranked.