ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council has announced the release of a new report exploring the vision care options and purchasing habits of Canadian consumers for the first half of 2024, offering an in-depth look at areas including managed vision care, frequency of eye exams and purchasing behavior for prescription eyewear, reading glasses and plano sunglasses. The Vision Council advises that this survey offers valuable insights into how Canadian consumers navigate vision care under their health care system.

“Our Consumer inSights Canada Q1 and Q2 2024 report marks The Vision Council’s first deep dive into Canadian consumer behavior," said Alysse Henkel, vice president of Research and inSights at The Vision Council. "This expansion enables us to offer industry members valuable insights into the Canadian market, helping them better understand consumer needs and preferences for vision care products and services. Whether businesses are already operating in Canada or are looking to expand into new markets, this addition to our research portfolio aims to provide valuable findings for the industry through a more comprehensive view of the North American consumer landscape.”

The report's findings are the result of a survey of 3,135 adults in Canada aged 18 years or older in the first half of 2024, and the group suggests that respondents are representative of the Canadian adult population. The survey included questions about vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses and plano sunglasses, with findings for Q1 and Q2 2024 showing that 45 percent of Canadians have managed vision care benefits, with 53 percent receiving coverage through an employer and 25 percent accessing benefits through government programs.

Findings also show that the exam cycle is relatively long for Canadians, with the report revealing that the average time between exams is 21 months, with a median of 14 months. The Vision Council said this suggests “many are not scheduling annual eye exams, but instead seek eyecare when a problem or issue arises.” In the same vein, the eyewear purchase cycle for Canadians is lengthy, with an average of 26 months and a median of 24 months between purchases. When it comes to non-prescription products, The Vision Council found that 46 percent of Canadians reported purchasing blue light blocking glasses.

Additional report highlights from The Vision Council include:

  • 81 percent of respondents use a form of vision correction—including glasses, prescription sunglasses, reading glasses and contact lenses.

  • 49 percent of respondents report having an eye exam within the past 12 months.

  • 87 percent of those with a recent eyeglasses, lens or frame purchase said they bought in-person, while 13 percent said they bought their eyewear online.

  • 32 percent reported paying $99 or less out of pocket for their glasses, lenses or frames.

  • Contact lens purchases were more likely to be online compared with the other vision correction products, with an online purchase rate of 23 percent.

  • 60 percent of those who use readers purchased a new pair within the past year.

  • More than half (56 percent) of respondents wear plano sunglasses.
The full report is available in The Vision Council’s Research Download Center as a complimentary download for members of The Vision Council, with a paid option for non-members to download.