Why is color blindness more common in men?

The red and green cone genes are on the X chromosome. Men have one X, so one altered copy causes a deficiency. Women have two, so they usually have a working backup copy — which is why the rate is about 1 in 12 men versus 1 in 200 women.

What is a color blindness carrier?

A woman with one altered X and one typical X. She usually sees color normally but can pass the gene on — each son has a 50% chance of being color blind. Carriers are the reason color blindness can run in families and appear to skip generations.

How can a woman find out if she's color blind?

Take a color vision screening. An online color blind test gives a quick estimate of whether a deficiency is present and its likely type, and an eye-care professional can confirm it. Don't rule it out just because color blindness is more common in men.

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Color vision deficiency

Can Women Be Color Blind?

Yes, women and girls can be color blind — it is just much less common than in men. About 1 in 200 women has a red-green color vision deficiency, versus about 1 in 12 men. The reason is genetic: the red and green cone genes sit on the X chromosome, and because women have two X chromosomes, a working copy on one usually makes up for an altered copy on the other. Far more women are carriers, passing it on without being color blind themselves.

The idea that "only men are color blind" is a myth, and it leaves a lot of women untested. Color blindness is more common in men, but it is not exclusive to them. The same genetics that make it rarer in women also make many of them carriers, and a smaller number are color blind themselves — often without ever being screened for it.

How common is color blindness in women?

Red-green color vision deficiency by group. Figures are approximate and vary by population.

How common red-green color blindness is in men, women, and female carriers
Group	Red-green deficiency	Why
Men	~1 in 12 (8%)	One X chromosome — a single altered copy is enough
Women	~1 in 200 (0.5%)	Two X chromosomes — the second usually compensates
Women who are carriers	~1 in 5–10	Carry the gene, usually normal color vision themselves

Why is color blindness rarer in women?

The genes for the red (L) and green (M) cones are on the X chromosome. Men have one X, so a single altered copy gives them a red-green deficiency. Women have two X chromosomes, so for a woman to be red-green color blind, both X chromosomes have to carry an altered gene — one from each parent. That combination is much less likely, which is why the rate drops from about 1 in 12 to about 1 in 200.

For it to happen, a girl's father must be color blind and her mother must be color blind or a carrier. So while it is less common, it runs clearly in families and is not rare in absolute numbers.

What is a carrier, and can a carrier be color blind?

A carrier has one altered X and one typical X. She usually has normal color vision and passes the altered gene to her children — each son has a 50% chance of being color blind, each daughter a 50% chance of being a carrier. This is how color blindness travels through a family and "skips" from a color-blind grandfather to a grandson.

Carriers are not always entirely unaffected. Because of how the two X chromosomes are used, some carriers have subtle color-vision quirks, and a small number are thought to have a fourth cone type, a topic studied under "tetrachromacy." For practical purposes, though, most carriers see color normally.

Why women with color blindness are often missed

Because the condition is framed as a male one, girls are less likely to be screened. A woman who mixes up colors may be told she is simply "bad with colors" rather than tested. School and workplace screening has historically focused on boys. Many women only find out as adults, often after a child is diagnosed or after taking a test out of curiosity.

If colors that others find obvious regularly trip you up — greens and browns, reds and greens, pinks and greys — being a woman is not a reason to rule color blindness out. A screening takes a couple of minutes and settles the question.

Not sure? Take a free screening

Being a woman is not a reason to rule it out. The color blind test gives a quick estimate of whether a deficiency is present and its likely type, in about two minutes — no sign-up.

Take the color blind test

Asking about a daughter? See can girls be color blind? for the inheritance pattern and what carriers pass on.

Women and color blindness — frequently asked questions

Can women be color blind?: Yes. About 1 in 200 women has a red-green color vision deficiency, compared with about 1 in 12 men. It is less common in women because the genes are on the X chromosome and a second X usually carries a working copy, but it is not exclusive to men.
Can girls be color blind?: Yes. A girl can be color blind if she inherits an altered cone gene on both X chromosomes — meaning her father is color blind and her mother is color blind or a carrier. It is rarer than in boys, but it happens, and girls are less often screened, so it is easy to miss.
Why is color blindness more common in men?: The red and green cone genes are on the X chromosome. Men have one X, so one altered copy causes a deficiency. Women have two, so they usually have a working backup copy — which is why the rate is about 1 in 12 men versus 1 in 200 women.
What is a color blindness carrier?: A woman with one altered X and one typical X. She usually sees color normally but can pass the gene on — each son has a 50% chance of being color blind. Carriers are the reason color blindness can run in families and appear to skip generations.
How can a woman find out if she's color blind?: Take a color vision screening. An online color blind test gives a quick estimate of whether a deficiency is present and its likely type, and an eye-care professional can confirm it. Don't rule it out just because color blindness is more common in men.

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Last reviewed June 28, 2026. Informational only and regularly reviewed — not a substitute for advice from an eye-care professional.