AbstractPurpose: The Malta Eye Study is a cross‐sectional ophthalmic epidemiology study of the Maltese population aged between 50–80 years. We report preliminary data on visual impairment, and the leading causes of visual loss among the Maltese population.Methods: Data is being collated over 2 years from a randomized sample of 2000 subjects from the Maltese Electoral Register, using postal invitations for assessments. The assessments include questionnaires (National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire, EuroQoL, Ocular Surface Disease Index, the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Score), anthropometrics, visual assessment, a slit lamp based ophthalmological examination, OCT scanning, Visionix and saliva collection for DNA analysis. The visual examination involves the use of logMAR chart calibrated at 4 m. This is performed for either eye with occlusion of the other eye. The WHO definitions of mild, moderate, severe visual impairment and blindness have been used.Results: Up until the date of submission of this abstract, 500 participants were assessed (25% of the target data). The overall prevalence of visual impairment, that is, any vision >0.3 logMAR in the better eye, is 5.8% (95% CI 3.9–8.2%). The prevalence of mild, moderate, severe visual impairment and blindness of the better eyes are 3.6% (95% CI 2.1–5.6%), 1.6% (95% CI 0.7–3.1%), 0.2% (95% CI 0.0–1.1%) and 0.4% (95% CI 0.0–1.4%) respectively. 22.4% (95% CI 18.8–26.3%) of the population have at least one eye with visual impairment, i.e. visual acuity >0.3 logMAR. In the population with visual impairment in at least one eye, the leading causes for such impairment in descending order include uncorrected refractive error, amblyopia, untreated cataract, age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma with prevalence of 29.5% (95% CI 21.2–38.8%), 21.4% (95% CI 14.2–30.2%), 20.5% (95% CI 13.5–29.2%), 7.1% (95% CI 3.1–13.6%), 4.5% (95% CI 1.5–10.1%) and 4.5% (95% CI 1.5–10.1%) respectively.Conclusions: The findings from this preliminary dataset compare well with large epidemiological surveys of similar populations in Europe and the US.