iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The number of blind people across the globe could triple within the next 40 years, according to a new study.

Cases could rise from 36 million to 115 million by 2050, researchers suggested in a study published in Lancet Global Health. The reason behind the increase is an aging population.

However, the percentage of the world’s population dealing with these impairments is falling, according to the study. Researchers said this will likely change in the coming decades because more people are reaching old age.

Some of the highest rates of vision impairment and blindness are in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the BBC.

There are more than 200 million people with moderate to severe vision impairment, and the number is expected to reach 550 million by 2050. The study reviewed data from 188 countries, according to the BBC.

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