Chris Bennett: At a Glance stats prove so revealing

Digging around in the annual Optics at a Glance figures to spot the latest trends has become a bit of a professional pastime.

The problem of course is that the figures change so slowly that spotting an uptick in a trend is a rarity. This makes the stand-out figures all the more alluring. Sight test volumes have only risen slowly year on year but go back a decade and that drift becomes clear movement. Five million more people present for eye examinations than they did 10 years ago.

Over the years At a Glance has become more comprehensive, giving an ever-rounder picture of the optical scene. While some figures change others remain resolutely static. It may come as a surprise to find that the proportion of RGP contact lenses has remained virtually unchanged since 2009, as has the proportion of daily disposable lens wearers. Over that time contact lens penetration has grown by just 3 per cent to a disappointing 9 per cent. Some stats are easier to shift than others as the rapid rise of silicone hydrogel lenses within that figure would testify.