OBJECTIVES: The non-medical costs of visual impairment to individuals and the nation are largely unknown. Data produced by state agencies are not relevant. Knowledge of these costs is essential when allocating resources to therapeutic or preventative programs. METHODS: We analysed two representative nation-wide surveys of 14,603 subjects living in institutions, and 16,945 in the community, with the object of documenting handicap. Subjects were classified as blind (no light perception), low vision (LV: loss of shape perception), or control. We also costed the following items: family income, social allowances, devices, home modification, paid assistance, time spent by carers and unmet needs. Next, we standardised item consumption on confounding factors, using logistic regression. Lastly, unit costs attributable to visual impairment were estimated and compared with the costs incurred by control subjects. Our economic standpoint was that of society. RESULTS: The national non-medical costs attributable to LV (9,438€m; 14,659€m with unmet needs) accounted for almost the entire costs of visual impairment (10,749€m; 16,30€2m with unmet needs). However, the average annual cost/patient was 7,826€ for LV (12,154€ with unmet needs) versus 19,173€ for blindness (24,036€ with unmet needs). Lost family income amounted to 4,552€m and the carers’ burden to 2,525€m. In addition, 5,080€m of social allowances were not distributed because many blind people do not register. CONCLUSIONS: Indemnification of visual handicap should cover total non-medical costs including the predominant unmet needs. Thus strategies of resource allocation, intended to alleviate visual impairment, should include all economic dimensions, extending to non-medical items.