Contact lens market grows

The latest figures from the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers show that 3.21 million people in the UK now wear contact lenses, a 16 per cent increase since 2001 when its market growth initiative started.

The value of the contact lens market in 2004 was £160.8m according to the ACLM and the number of lenses sold more than 424 million; 6.5 per cent of adults now wear contact lenses.

The majority of the market is made up of daily disposable lenses which command a 55 per cent share by value and are worn by 34 per cent of contact lens wearing patients.

The number of silicone hydrogel wearers has grown to 6 per cent of wearers or 180,000 people and these lenses make up 8 per cent of the market value.

Rigid contact lens wearers make up 11 per cent of users and rigid lenses account for a 6 per cent value of the market. Traditional soft lenses make up just 5 per cent of the market.