Have you ever locked eyes with someone and wondered how rare their eye color is? While some people have striking blues or deep greens, the truth is that most of the world shares just a few dominant shades. But just how common—or rare—is your eye color?
Well, if you have brown eyes, congratulations—you’re in the majority, as HowStuffWorks explains. Nearly 80 percent of people worldwide have some shade of brown, ranging from light caramel to nearly black. Brown eyes are rich in melanin, which not only gives them their color but also provides natural UV protection.
Hazel eyes are a mix of brown, gold, green, and sometimes even gray. Depending on the lighting, they can even shift colors like a mood ring. Only about 10 percent of the world has hazel eyes, and they’re more commonly found in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. While not the rarest, hazel eyes are also not the most common eye color around.
Blue-eyed folks may be rarer, but their eye color has a fascinating history. All blue-eyed people can trace their ancestry back to a single genetic mutation that occurred thousands of years ago in Europe. Today, only 10 percent of the global population has blue eyes, with the highest concentration found in Northern Europe.
Gray eyes are a less common eye color. While they may look similar to blue eyes, they often have a silvery or smokey appearance, sometimes with hints of green or hazel. Only about three percent of people worldwide have this rare eye color.
Green eyes are considered the rarest of the “natural” eye colors. Found in only two percent of the world’s population, green eyes are most commonly seen in Celtic and Nordic regions, but they occasionally pop up in other populations. Green eyes get their color from a unique mix of light melanin and Rayleigh scattering, the same effect that makes the sky look blue.
Perhaps one day, with all the advancements we’ve seen in genetic modification, we’ll be able to change someone’s eye color or even introduce new eye colors.
