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Citeable facts

Color blindness
statistics

Prevalence, type breakdown, and why it matters for UI design— with links to free screening and simulation tools.

300M+
People with CVD worldwide
National Eye Institute / Colour Blind Awareness estimates
8%
Of men (red-green CVD)
~1 in 12 men
0.5%
Of women (red-green CVD)
~1 in 200 women
~5%
Deuteranomaly in men
Most common single type
~1%
Deuteranopia in men
Complete green-blindness
0.01%
Tritanopia prevalence
Blue-yellow; affects both sexes

Types of color blindness (prevalence)

  • Deuteranomaly — partial green weakness; ~5% of men. Free test
  • Deuteranopia — complete green-blindness; ~1% of men. Free test
  • Protanomaly / protanopia — red-axis weakness or blindness; ~1–2% of men combined. Protanopia test
  • Tritanopia / tritanomaly — blue-yellow; rare (~0.01%). Tritanopia test
  • Achromatopsia — complete color blindness; ~1 in 30,000. Achromatopsia test

Why this matters for digital design

In a product with 1,000 male users, roughly 80 have some form of color vision deficiency. Relying on red vs green alone for success/error states, charts, or maps excludes them. WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color) requires redundant cues—not color alone.

Test designs with our free color blind simulator or all-types simulation. Screen personal vision with the free color blind test.

How to cite this page

DeficiencyView. (2026). Color Blindness Statistics — Prevalence & Types. https://deficiencyview.com/color-blindness-statistics

Primary medical references: NIH NEI — Color blindness; Machado, Oliveira & Fernandes (2009) for simulation methodology on our methodology page.

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Bloggers and educators: use our free embed widgets or link to types of color blindness guide.