Freiburg Study Finds Stable Myopia Rates in German Youth Since 2001

A study by the University Hospital Freiburg, published in Frontiers in Public Health, indicates that myopia prevalence among children and adolescents in Germany has remained stable between 2001 and 2025. Analyzing approximately 1.25 million eyeglass prescriptions for about 437,700 individuals aged three to 18, researchers found no increase in myopic prescriptions, with roughly 40 percent of youth affected. The findings contradict assumptions of a global myopia epidemic, attributing higher rates in East Asia primarily to intensive schooling and limited outdoor time rather than digitalization or pandemic effects. Separately, a Shanghai-based retrospective analysis of 182 young adults (aged 18–25) with high myopia revealed that progression can continue into adulthood, though rates decline with age; no clear link to pathological myopia was established.