PD Chart: Every Pupillary Distance From 50 to 75 mm
Look up your PD in this chart to see your reading-glasses number, the split for each eye, and how common your measurement is. PD stands for pupillary distance: the space in millimetres between the middle of one pupil and the middle of the other, and lenses are built so each one lines up with a pupil.
| PD | Each eye, even split | Near PD, estimate | Adults at or below |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD 50 mm | 25 mm | 47 mm | under 1% |
| PD 51 mm | 25.5 mm | 48 mm | under 1% |
| PD 52 mm | 26 mm | 49 mm | under 1% |
| PD 53 mm | 26.5 mm | 50 mm | under 1% |
| PD 54 mm | 27 mm | 51 mm | 1% |
| PD 55 mm | 27.5 mm | 52 mm | 2% |
| PD 56 mm | 28 mm | 53 mm | 4% |
| PD 57 mm | 28.5 mm | 54 mm | 6% |
| PD 58 mm | 29 mm | 55 mm | 10% |
| PD 59 mm | 29.5 mm | 56 mm | 16% |
| PD 60 mm | 30 mm | 57 mm | 23% |
| PD 61 mm | 30.5 mm | 58 mm | 31% |
| PD 62 mm | 31 mm | 59 mm | 41% |
| PD 63 mmtypical | 31.5 mm | 60 mm | 51% |
| PD 64 mm | 32 mm | 61 mm | 62% |
| PD 65 mm | 32.5 mm | 62 mm | 71% |
| PD 66 mm | 33 mm | 63 mm | 79% |
| PD 67 mm | 33.5 mm | 64 mm | 86% |
| PD 68 mm | 34 mm | 65 mm | 91% |
| PD 69 mm | 34.5 mm | 66 mm | 95% |
| PD 70 mm | 35 mm | 67 mm | 97% |
| PD 71 mm | 35.5 mm | 68 mm | 98% |
| PD 72 mm | 36 mm | 69 mm | over 99% |
| PD 73 mm | 36.5 mm | 70 mm | over 99% |
| PD 74 mm | 37 mm | 71 mm | over 99% |
| PD 75 mm | 37.5 mm | 72 mm | over 99% |
Shares from the ANSUR adult data (average 63.36 mm, spread 3.832 mm), Dodgson's analysis. Near PD uses the common 3 mm rule. Each eye is an even split; a measured dual PD is better. A pair like 63/60 means distance PD, then near PD; a pair like 31/32 means one number per eye. Don't know your PD yet? Measure it with a card and your camera.
Reading the PD Chart
Find your PD in the left column, then follow that row to the right. The last column tells you, out of every hundred adults, how many measure at or below your value. With a PD of 60 mm, that works out to roughly 23% of adults.
The near PD figure is what reading glasses call for. When you focus on something nearby, your eyes angle in a bit, so the lens middles have to be set slightly nearer to one another. The standard approach subtracts 3 mm from your PD, taking 1.5 mm per eye. Some prescriptions print the pair side by side, like 63/60.
The second column divides your PD in two equal parts, one per eye. Most faces aren't perfectly symmetrical, so if you have a separate measurement for each eye, use that because it will fit you better than an even split.
PD Range for Glasses
The Cleveland Clinic reports that most adults have a single PD somewhere between 50 and 70 mm, with 63 mm being typical. Per the ANSUR survey, under 1% of adults came in at 53 mm or below, while over 99% came in at 72 mm or below.
If a form asks for one number, use the distance PD for everyday glasses, or the near PD when the pair is for reading. A form requesting two figures wants one per eye, and the table gives you the equal split if a single measurement is all you have.
Two worked examples from the table. A PD of 63 mm corresponds to a near PD of 60 mm with 31.5 mm per eye. A PD of 58 mm corresponds to a near PD of 55 mm with 29 mm per eye.
PD and VR Headsets
The same measurement applies to headsets. Meta Quest lenses click into 58, 63 and 68 mm positions, and according to Meta these fit people whose PD runs from 56 to 70 mm. The ANSUR survey suggests most adults sit within that span.
How This Is Worked Out
That's all there is to it: take 3 mm off for reading glasses, and halve your PD for each eye.
The percentages are estimates based on a survey of 3,976 adults, where the average PD was about 63 mm. Each share is rounded to the closest whole percent.