The article provides comparative data on the level of visual impairment and blindness in different countries and in the world as a whole. We found out that 1.3 billion people worldwide suffer from visual impairment, among which 36 million are blind. The main causes of visual impairment were cataracts, refraction disorders and glaucoma. Up to 80 % of the causes of visual impairment are thought to be possibly prevented or cured. However, taking into account the low availability of ophthalmological care, it is difficult to achieve. The proportion of visual impairment resulting from cataract and trachoma is projected to decrease in the near future, but the proportion of refraction, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration will increase. In Russia, there is a steady increase in disability as a result of ophthalmopathology, the prevalence of which reaches 28.8 per 10 thousand adults, with the first five causes of disability being retinal disease (25 %), glaucoma (24.9 %), degenerative myopia (19.3 %), optic nerve disease (15.1 %), lens pathology (4.4 %). Despite ongoing research, which would reduce the burden of ophthalmopathology, the problem of visually impaired and blindness remains relevant worldwide to date. The development and implementation of preventive programs will contribute to the prevention of visual impairment and blindness among the population with eye diseases