Soft Contact Lenses Market Report 2025

The soft contact lenses market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $8.91 billion in 2024 to $9.57 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to the increasing prevalence of refractive vision disorders, a rising preference for aesthetics over spectacles, growing participation in sports and outdoor activities, expanding availability of contact lenses in retail outlets, and increased disposable income and healthcare spending.

The soft contact lenses market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $12.61 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%. The growth during the forecast period can be attributed to rising digital screen exposure, a growing aging population affected by presbyopia, increasing demand for daily disposable lenses, expansion of online direct-to-consumer channels, and heightened awareness of eye health. Major trends in the forecast period include technological advancements in lens materials, innovations in drug delivery and therapeutic lenses, research and development in multifocal and toric designs, adoption of smart contact lens technologies, and sustainability-focused lens packaging and production.

The rising prevalence of myopia is expected to drive the growth of the soft contact lenses market in the coming years. Myopia is a common refractive error where distant objects appear blurry while close objects remain clear, caused by the elongation of the eyeball or excessive curvature of the cornea, which results in light focusing in front of the retina instead of on it. The increase in myopia cases is attributed to prolonged digital screen use among children and adolescents, as higher screen time and less outdoor activity contribute to the early onset and rapid progression of myopia worldwide. Soft contact lenses address myopia by providing comfortable corrective options, including daily and extended-wear lenses, some of which incorporate advanced designs aimed at slowing myopic progression. For example, in February 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a US government agency, projected that global myopia prevalence would rise to 36.59% by 2040 and 39.80% by 2050, with total cases expected to exceed 740 million by 2050. Thus, the increasing myopia prevalence is fueling the growth of the soft contact lenses market.

Key players in the soft contact lenses market are focusing on launching innovative products such as customizable contact lenses to enhance visual correction, improve comfort, and serve individuals with unique eye conditions or prescriptions. Customizable contact lenses are tailored specifically to an individual’s eye shape, prescription, and vision requirements, with adjustable parameters including curvature, diameter, material, and optical correction to offer better fit, comfort, and visual performance compared to standard lenses. For instance, in June 2022, Bausch + Lomb, a US-based eye health company, introduced Revive custom soft contact lenses, a new line of highly customizable lenses available in spherical, toric, multifocal, and multifocal toric variants. These lenses are designed to meet the needs of patients with complex prescriptions such as high myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, and presbyopia. Made from a non-ionic material that resists protein deposits, Revive lenses can be worn daily for up to three months and offer flexible replacement schedules. The lenses feature adjustable parameters like diameter, base curve, and power to ensure optimal fit, supported by Bausch + Lomb’s 120-day EZ-Exchange program and professional fitting assistance, enabling eye care providers to better accommodate patients with challenging vision needs.

In September 2022, Black Pearl Global Investments, a US-based asset management firm, acquired Hydrogel Vision Corp. for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Black Pearl seeks to expand access to affordable, high-quality vision care worldwide, especially in underserved regions, by gaining complete control over the supply chain, manufacturing, and product development of contact lenses designed to meet diverse consumer needs. Hydrogel Vision Corp. is a US-based manufacturer of soft contact lenses.

Major players in the soft contact lenses market are Johnson & Johnson, EssilorLuxottica SA, Alcon Laboratories Inc., Hoya Corporation, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, The Cooper Companies Inc., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Polytouch Contact Lens Co., Menicon Co. Ltd., ABB Optical Group LLC, Contamac Ltd., Art Optical Contact Lens Inc., Clearlab SG Pte Ltd., X-Cel Specialty Contacts, Daysoft Limited, Seed Co. Ltd., Blanchard Contact Lens Inc., Cantor & Nissel Ltd., Metro Optics Inc., SpecialEyes LLC, TruForm Optics Inc., UltraVision CLPL Limited, Viscon Contact Lens Mfg. Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the soft contact lenses market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in soft contact lenses report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the soft contact lenses market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The soft contact lenses market consists of sales of products, including color contact lenses, cosmetic contact lenses, therapeutic contact lenses, ultraviolet-blocking contact lenses, and custom soft contact lenses. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified.)

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The fast surge in U.S. tariffs and the trade tensions that followed in spring 2025 are heavily affecting the medical equipment sector, particularly for imported imaging machine components, surgical-grade stainless steel, and plastic disposables. Hospitals and clinics resist price hikes, pressuring manufacturers’ margins. Regulatory hurdles compound the problem, as tariff-related supplier changes often require re-certification of devices, delaying time-to-market. Companies are mitigating risks by dual-sourcing critical parts, expanding domestic production of commoditized items, and accelerating R&D in cost-efficient materials.

The soft contact lenses market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides soft contact lenses market statistics, including soft contact lenses industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a soft contact lenses market share, detailed soft contact lenses market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the soft contact lenses industry. This soft contact lenses market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Soft contact lenses are vision-correcting lenses made from soft, flexible materials like hydrogels or silicone hydrogels that absorb water and closely conform to the shape of the eye. These lenses are designed to allow high levels of oxygen to pass through to the cornea, providing enhanced comfort, reduced dryness, and easier adaptation for both short-term and extended wear compared to rigid lenses.

The main types of products in soft contact lenses include daily disposable lenses, extended wear lenses, frequent replacement lenses, multifocal lenses, and toric lenses for astigmatism. Daily disposable lenses are contact lenses intended for single use, discarded at the end of each day to ensure maximum hygiene and minimal maintenance. These lenses come in various material compositions such as hydrogel, silicone hydrogel, polyhema, non-ionogenic, and ultraviolet-blocking lenses, catering to different age groups including children, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged adults, and senior citizens. They are distributed through channels like online retailers, optical stores, pharmacies, hospital and clinic sales, and direct-to-consumer brands, serving applications such as corrective, therapeutic, cosmetic, prosthetic, and lifestyle-oriented uses.

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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