Amid a global swell of nearsightedness, Finnish conscripts hold their ground, showing steady rates and remarkably few high myopes.
In much of Asia, myopia is skyrocketing. In Finland, however, it is holding steady. A new study of more than 1,200 Finnish conscripts found that just 23.5% were myopic—a rate that has barely budged in decades.1 High myopia was nearly nonexistent at only 0.4%. That’s a far cry from Taiwan, South Korea and China, where up to nine in ten young adults need correction, and one in four has high myopia.
READ MORE: Myopia Correction, Control and Management–What’s the Difference, and Why It Matters
A Nordic outlier
Myopia is projected to affect half the world by 2050, but Finland seems to be marching to its own beat. Researchers say the difference can’t be chalked up to genetics, since genome-wide analyses show Europeans and East Asians share high genetic overlap for refractive traits.1 Instead, lifestyle and schooling practices are the likelier culprits.
Compared with their Asian peers, Finnish children start school later, at age seven, spend less time buried in homework and far more time outdoors. The Finnish school day is punctuated with 15-minute outdoor breaks and includes at least two hours of sports or physical activity each week.1
Even latitude may play a role. Earlier studies hinted that conscripts from Finland’s far north, above the Arctic Circle in Lappi, had slightly higher rates of myopia, perhaps linked to extreme seasonal light–dark cycles, though the effect was modest.2 This suggests natural lighting and photoperiods may interact with education and lifestyle in shaping refractive outcomes.
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The numbers behind the eyesight
The study analyzed 1,286 male conscripts with an average age of 19. The results showed:
- Overall myopia prevalence: 23.5%
- High myopia prevalence: 0.4%
- Smartphone use: 3.8 hours/day on average
- Risk factors: each extra hour of near work increased odds of myopia by ~18%, while each additional hour outdoors decreased the odds by ~18%.1,3
Interestingly, the effect of smartphone use depended on education. Among highly-educated conscripts, more time on smartphones raised myopia risk, while in vocational or less formally schooled recruits, the association was weak or even slightly protective.3
In other words, it’s not the device but the way it’s used that matters. Hours of focused study on a smartphone carry different risks than a quick scroll through messages.
Screens, schooling and snow
For optometrists, the key insight is that lifestyle patterns matter more than raw screen-time tallies. South Korean and Taiwanese teens, often immersed in early academics and after-school tutoring, face vastly different risks compared with Finnish students, who start structured schooling later and spend their afternoons outdoors.
That contrast is reflected in the numbers. Vocational students in Finland had the lowest prevalence of myopia, while those pursuing higher-education showed the strongest associations between screen use and refractive error.3 Educational burden, more than glowing rectangles, drives much of the divergence.
READ MORE: Game-Changers in Myopia Management
Lessons in prevention
Finland’s steady rates highlight the importance of prevention strategies that begin long before patients walk into the exam room. Encouraging outdoor time, pacing near work and promoting healthy screen habits can help blunt the trajectory seen in East Asia.
Global comparisons show interventions can work. Taiwan’s nationwide program of two hours outdoors daily and regular breaks has already reversed the trend toward worsening uncorrected vision.4 Similarly, school-based trials in China found that adding outdoor recess significantly reduced new cases of myopia.5 Finland is a reminder that when early schooling lightens the near-work load and leaves space for daylight, myopia has far less room to grow.
What this means for your practice
For optometrists in Europe and North America, the Finnish experience is both a warning and a guide. The same global pressures of earlier schooling, heavier academic loads and rising screen use are creeping into Western classrooms. Left unchecked, they could push myopia prevalence higher, just as forecasts predict. Yet Finland shows it does not have to be that way.
By advocating for outdoor time, educating families about limiting continuous near work and encouraging healthier digital habits, optometrists can take a frontline role in prevention. The exam room may be where refractive error is diagnosed, but the real work of keeping prevalence down begins in schools, homes and communities.1,3
READ MORE: A Global Crisis in Basic Eye Care: Millions Still Struggling Without Glasses
Looking north for answers
The Finnish conscript study is more than a regional curiosity. It shows that the myopia epidemic is not inevitable. From classroom schedules to seasonal sunlight, environments shape eyes as much as genes do. For optometrists on the frontlines, prevention begins not with high-tech instruments but with the everyday balance between books, screens and the great outdoors…a balance Finland has quietly mastered.
Editor’s Note: This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.
References
- Pärssinen O, Franssila ML, Nordhausen K, et al. The prevalence of myopia in Finnish conscripts has not increased in recent decades and is lower than in many East and Southeast Asian countries. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2025;66(12):10.
- Vannas AEG, Ying GS, Stone RA, Maguire MG, Jormanainen V, Tervo T. Myopia and natural lighting extremes: Risk factors in Finnish army conscripts. Acta Ophthalmol Scand. 2003;81(6):588-95.
- Parssinen O, Franssila ML, Nordhausen K, et al. The prevalence of myopia among Finnish conscripts remains low, despite forecasts of increasing prevalence. The Lancet. August 20, 2024. Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4927755. Accessed on September 22, 2025.
- Wu PC, Chen CT, Chang LC, et al. Increased time outdoors is followed by reversal of the long-term trend to reduced visual acuity in Taiwan primary school students. Ophthalmology. 2020;127(11):1462-1469.
- He M, Xiang F, Zeng Y, et al. Effect of time spent outdoors at school on the development of myopia among children in China: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015;314(11):1142-1148.