Market inSights 2025 with 2026 Forecast

The 2025 Market inSights with 2026 Forecast, published by The Vision Council, provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. optical industry’s performance and trends. Valuing the industry at $69.5 billion, the report offers an overview of market performance across several key product categories, consumer preferences, and retail dynamics. It also provides a forward-looking forecast for 2026, offering actionable insights for stakeholders in eyewear retail, vision care, and optical product manufacturing. Covering both prescription and non-prescription products, the report reveals how economic shifts, managed vision care, and purchasing channels (in-person vs. online) are shaping the future of the optical industry.

Report Methodology

To create a highly accurate and data-rich market model, The Vision Council leveraged multiple data sources:

• Patient billing and payment transactions from over 3,000 optical retail locations.
• Consumer expenditure data from millions of transaction data points from retail locations.
• Retail location data verified via corporate directories and Google Places API.
• Monthly Consumer inSights surveys with over 48,000 U.S. respondents annually.

Data was processed using advanced analytics and AI techniques. Distinctions were made between prescription (exams, lenses, frames, contact lenses) and non-prescription (plano sunglasses, readers) categories, with detailed pricing, volume, and reimbursement modeling. This ensured precise estimates for both private pay and managed vision care purchases across in-person and online channels.

Key Highlights

• Total market value reached $69.5 billion, up 4.4% from 2024 across exams, frames, lenses, contact lenses, plano sunglasses, and readers. 
• Plano sunglasses were the only category to grow in volume, reaching 312.8 million pairs; all other categories declined in volume.
• About 94 percent of U.S. adults, more than 250 million people, used some form of prescription or non-prescription eyewear.
• Looking to 2026, we expect uncertainty to continue with revenue largely holding steady. 

Why It Matters

This report is vital for optical retailers, eye care professionals, managed vision care providers, and product manufacturers navigating a shifting landscape. Understanding consumer behavior, online vs. in-person trends, and product-specific insights helps stakeholders make data-driven decisions.

Report Delivery

This report is available as a downloadable PDF.

For more information or custom insights, contact Anastasiya Yanushkova at ayanushkova@thevisioncouncil.org.