PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1948251
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1948251
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.
Tariffs have influenced the soft contact lenses market by increasing the cost of imported lens materials and finished products, leading to higher prices for end consumers. The segments most affected include silicone hydrogel lenses and specialty lenses, particularly in regions heavily reliant on imports such as North America and Europe. Tariffs have slowed the expansion of some online and optical retail channels but have encouraged local manufacturing and innovation, allowing some domestic players to gain market share and reduce dependency on imports.
The soft contact lenses market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company 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.
The soft contact lenses market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $9.57 billion in 2025 to $10.28 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising prevalence of refractive errors, growing awareness about eye care, advances in hydrogel lens technology, increasing availability of daily disposable lenses, expansion of optical retail chains.
The soft contact lenses market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $13.49 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to adoption of silicone hydrogel lenses, rising demand for cosmetic and colored lenses, increasing e-commerce sales of contact lenses, development of smart and connected lenses, growth in therapeutic and specialty lenses. Major trends in the forecast period include personalized lenses development, enhanced oxygen permeability lenses, water retention & comfort optimization, cosmetic & colored lens popularity, therapeutic & medical contact lenses.
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.
Major companies in the soft contact lenses market are concentrating on developing innovative solutions, such as daily disposable multifocal toric lenses, to meet the growing demand fueled by the increasing prevalence of astigmatism and presbyopia, along with rising consumer preference for comfort, hygiene, and visual consistency. Daily disposable multifocal toric lenses are advanced contact lenses that combine toric correction for astigmatism with multifocal optics for near, intermediate, and distance vision, providing a single-use, maintenance-free alternative to conventional reusable toric or multifocal lenses. For example, in June 2025, Johnson & Johnson, a US-based eye-care company, launched ACUVUE OASYS MAX 1-Day MULTIFOCAL for ASTIGMATISM, the first daily disposable lens specifically designed for individuals with both conditions. Made with a highly oxygen-permeable material, the lens features Blink-Stabilized technology for rotational stability, TearStable technology to preserve moisture, an OptiBlue light filter to reduce high-energy visible (HEV) light, and a pupil-optimized multifocal design that delivers clear, stable vision in various lighting conditions and ensures all-day comfort.
In April 2024, CooperVision Inc., a US-based contact lens manufacturer, collaborated with Plastic Bank Recycling Corporation to advance its net plastic neutrality program. Through this collaboration, CooperVision Inc. and Plastic Bank Recycling Corporation aim to maintain funding for the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic equal to the weight of CooperVision's contact lens products, while also offering vision screenings and vouchers for eye exams and glasses to eligible Plastic Bank collection members in Indonesia. Plastic Bank Recycling Corporation is a Canada-based social enterprise dedicated to ethical recycling and poverty alleviation in coastal communities.
Major companies operating in the soft contact lenses market are Johnson And Johnson, EssilorLuxottica SA, Alcon Laboratories Inc, Hoya Corporation, Bausch And Lomb Incorporated, The Cooper Companies Inc, Menicon Co Ltd, Polytouch Contact Lens Co, ABB Optical Group LLC, Contamac Ltd, Art Optical Contact Lens Inc, Clearlab SG Pte Ltd, X Cel Specialty Contacts, Daysoft Limited, Seed Co Ltd, Cantor And Nissel Ltd, Metro Optics Inc, SpecialEyes LLC, TruForm Optics Inc, UltraVision CLPL Limited, Viscon Contact Lens Mfg Ltd, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare
North America was the largest region in the soft contact lenses market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the soft contact lenses market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the soft contact lenses market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, 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).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that 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.
Soft Contact Lenses Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses soft contact lenses market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for soft contact lenses ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The soft contact lenses market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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