Canberra is the best city in the world for eye health, partly owing to low levels of air, noise and light pollution, according to a new study.
Feel Good Contacts, a London-based contact lenses supplier, analysed 100 capital cities in the world to discover which cities are the best and worst for eyesight.
The data looked at several factors including noise, light and air pollution, the prevalence of vision loss in each city – which was taken from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) – and each cities national health care index scores to indicate which cities are the healthiest and most at-risk for maintaining good eye health.
Canberra is the best city for eyesight according to the study, with an overall eye health score of 9.47 out of 10.
The Australian capital boasts some of the lowest levels of air, noise and light pollution, meaning eyes are less irritated and benefit from more restorative sleep.
New Zealand capital, Wellington, reported the lowest levels of air pollution in the study, with a score of 4.24 out of 100. This very low rating makes it a great place for healthy eyesight, as well as helping those with respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Both The Netherlands and Canada reported the lowest prevalence of vision loss out of 100 capital cities, with Amsterdam and Ottawa reporting only 3.4% of the populations suffering from vision loss.
The worst city in the world for eyesight is Dhaka in Bangladesh, with the capital scoring only 2.92 out of 10 for overall eye health.
The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has the highest levels of pollution (93.14 out of 100), the Peruvian capital Lima has the highest levels of noise and light pollution (73.45 out of 100), and Nepal, capital of Kathmandu, has the highest prevalence of vision loss at 27.2%. Laos is the country with the worst healthcare system, rated 33.73 out of 100.
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