The economic and social costs of visual impairment and blindness in India

To provide a current estimate of the economic and social costs (or welfare costs) of visual impairment and blindness in India.

Using evidence from the recently conducted Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey across India, the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health and other sources, we developed an economic model that estimates the costs of reduced employment, elevated mortality risk, education loss for children, productivity loss in employment, welfare loss for the unemployed, and caregiver costs associated with moderate and severe visual impairment (MSVI) and blindness. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were also conducted by varying key parameters simultaneously.

The costs of MSVI and blindness in India in 2019 are estimated at INR 1,158 billion (range: INR 947-1,427 billion) or $54.4 billion at purchasing power parity exchange rates (range: $44.5-67.0 billion), accounting for all six cost streams. The largest cost was for the loss of employment, whereas the the second largest cost was for caregiver time. A more conservative estimate focusing only on employment loss and elevated mortality risk yielded a cost of INR 504 billion (range: INR 348-621 billion) or $23.7 billion (range: $16.3-29.2 billion).

Poor eye health imposes a non-trivial recurring cost to the Indian economy equivalent to 0.47% to 0.70% of GDP in the primary scenario, a substantial constraint on the country's growth aspirations. Furthermore, the absolute costs of poor eye health will increase over time as India ages and becomes wealthier unless further progress is made in reducing the prevalence of MSVI and blindness.