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Statistics of people with different eye colors. Why green eye color is the rarest. The rarest eye color in the world

Mystery gene

Rare eye colors

Geography of color

Heterochromia

Psychology of color

Perception by others

There are no two people in the world with exactly the same eye color. All children have dull blue eyes at birth due to the lack of melanin, but later they acquire one of the few shades that will remain human for life.

Mystery gene

Back at the end of the 19th century, there was a hypothesis that human ancestors had exclusively dark eyes. Hans Eyberg, a modern Danish scientist at the University of Copenhagen, has conducted scientific research confirming and developing this idea. According to research results, the OCA2 gene, which is responsible for light shades of eyes, mutations of which disable the standard color, appeared only during the Mesolithic period (10,000-6,000 BC). Hans has been collecting evidence since 1996 and concluded that OCA2 regulates the production of melanin in the body, and any changes in the gene reduce this ability and impair its functioning, causing blue eyes. The professor also claims that all blue-eyed inhabitants of the Earth have common ancestors, because this gene is inherited.

However, different forms of the same gene, alleles, are always in a state of competition, and the darker color always “wins,” as a result of which parents with blue and brown eyes will have brown-eyed children, and only a blue-eyed couple can have a baby with eyes of cold shades.

Rare eye colors

There are only about 2% of truly green-eyed people in the world, and most of them live in the northern countries of Europe. In Russia, uneven green shades of eyes are often found, mixed with brown or gray pigment. Also an incredible exception are black eyes, although they are much more common than others. The iris of such eyes has a high concentration of melanin, which almost completely absorbs light. Many people believe that all albinos have red eyes, although in reality this is the exception rather than the rule (most albinos have brown or blue eyes). Red eyes are the result of a lack of melanin in the ectodermal and mesodermal layers, where blood vessels and collagen fibers “show through”, determining the color of the iris. A very rare color is a variation of the most common one - we are talking about amber, sometimes yellow eyes.

This color results from the presence of lipochrome pigment, which is also found in green-eyed people. This rare eye color is characteristic of some animal species, such as wolves, cats, owls and eagles.

Geography of color

Professor Eiberg suggested the geographic coordinates where the mutation processes of the “blue-eyed” gene began. According to the scientist, it all started, oddly enough, in the northern regions of Afghanistan, between India and the Middle East. During the Mesolithic period, the Aryan tribes were located here. By the way, the division of the languages ​​of the Indo-European group dates back to this period. Currently, the most common eye color in the world is brown, with the exception of the Baltic countries. Blue and blue eyes are most common among the European population.

For example, in Germany 75% of the population can boast of such eyes, and in Estonia all 99%. Blue and blue eyes are common among the European population, especially in the Baltics and Northern Europe, and are often found in the Middle East (Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran). Among Ukrainian Jews, 53.7% have this eye color. Gray eye color is common in Eastern and Northern Europe, and in Russia there are about 50% of carriers of this color. There are about 25% of brown-eyed people in our country, 20% of blue-eyed people of various shades, but carriers of rare green and dark, almost black colors total no more than 5% of Russians.

Heterochromia

This amazing phenomenon is expressed in the different colors of the eyes of one person or animal. Most often, heterochromia is caused genetically. For example, breeders and breeders deliberately create breeds of cats and dogs with different eye colors. In humans, there are three types of this feature: complete, central and sectoral heterochromia. According to the names, in the first case both eyes have their own, often contrasting, shade. The most common color of one eye is brown and the other is blue. Central heterochromia is characterized by the presence of several full-colored rings of the iris of one eye. Sector heterochromia is an uneven color of one eye in several shades. There are three separate pigments that characterize eye color - blue, brown and yellow, the number of which forms the mysterious shades of heterochromia, which occurs in approximately 10 people out of 1000.

Psychology of color

Professor Joana Rob from the University of Lowville, USA, argues that blue-eyed people are more prone to strategic thinking and play better golf, while brown-eyed people have good memory, are very reasonable and temperamental.

Astrologers and psychologists like to mention the relationship between eye color and a person’s character. Most often they say, for example, that blue-eyed people are persistent and sentimental, but can be arrogant. Gray-eyed people are smart, but powerless in matters that require a sensual approach, while green-eyed people, for example, are gentle and, at the same time, can be overly principled. Such conclusions are not always based on statistical studies and surveys. There is also a rational scientific grain here. For example, scientists have discovered the PAX6 gene, which plays a major role in iris pigmentation and personality type. It is involved in the development of the part of the frontal lobe that is responsible for empathy and self-control. Thus, it can be argued that a person's character and eye color are biologically interrelated, but there is still not enough research in this area to consider such statements scientific.

Perception by others

A study was conducted in the USA involving thousands of women aged 16 to 35 years. Its results are quite interesting: blue and gray eyes give the owner the image of a “sweet” (42%) and kind (10%) person, green eyes are associated with sexuality (29%) and cunning (20%), and brown eyes are associated with developed intelligence ( 34%) and kindness (13%).

Researchers at Charles University in Prague conducted an unusual experiment to determine the degree of trust in people depending on eye color. The largest percentage of participants recognized brown-eyed people in the photo as more trustworthy. During the experiment, scientists showed new photographs in which they changed the eye color of the same people, as a result of which interesting conclusions were drawn. It turned out that trust is caused more by the facial features inherent in brown-eyed people, and not by the eye color itself, as such. For example, brown-eyed men are more likely to have raised corners of the lips, a wide chin and large eyes, while blue-eyed men have a narrow mouth, small eyes and drooping corners of the lips. Brown-eyed women appear to be considered more trustworthy, although statistically this is less pronounced than in the case of dark-eyed men.

Green color has rightfully earned the title of “rare eye color.” It is found in Holland, Iceland and Central Europe, and is less common in other parts of the planet. The color of the organs of vision is determined by the amount of melanin in the cornea, the density of collagen fibers and light scattering. The most common colors are brown, dark blue or gray. The shade of the shell is a fickle phenomenon; it can change over the course of life. This process is affected by pathologies of vision and internal organs.

What does it depend on?

Eye color in humans is determined by the amount of melanin, the pigment of the iris, in the mesodermal (front) layer, since the ectodermal (back) layer is always dark. The darker they are, the more melanin. This is how brown eyes, black or light brown, are formed. Blue or green eyes are formed when the percentage of melanin is less. Red eye color in humans is rare. People who have unusual red eyes are called albinos. In this case, the iris is white, in which the percentage of melanin is zero and the effect is provided by vessels filled with blood. The ratio of pigments is a genetic factor.

It is believed that dark colors dominate the population over light shades. If one of the parents has a high percentage of pigment in the iris, then the children are more likely to have a dark color. Nature has its own laws and color can change over time. In the European race, melanin tends to accumulate and due to an increase in the percentage of pigment, the eyes gradually darken. With advancing age, the membrane becomes pale due to the loss of transparency of the mesodermal layer. Some pathologies of the visual system cause changes in eye color.

What colors are there?

A newborn baby's irises are blue.

The most common eye color is blue, less often the organs of vision are gray or blue. This is due to the low density of collagen fibers and a small percentage of melanin, in which case a person’s eyes are blue. The saturation of the shade will come from the lower density of the fabric. This color is more common in newborns in the first few months of life. With a higher fiber density, the shade will be bluer or gray. This type of color is common among Europeans. Women in Central and Northern Europe are often bright green; for other regions of the planet and for men this shade is unusual. Popular colors:

  • brown;
  • grey-green;
  • blue;
  • amber;
  • green with hints of tint.

Sapphire eyes are a very rare color. They are actually never found, they are often called when they see a honey or amber green color. Light colors are more common in newborns or older adults.


The natural purple tint of the iris can be caused by a pigment mutation.

Mutation of the pigment can cause unique shades such as violet, magenta, amethyst. Natural colors of such shades are found in a very small number of people. Ailments such as glaucoma, cataracts, decreased visual acuity, photophobia and other diseases of internal organs can provoke color changes. There are more people with gray, brown and blue eyes. Also, the shade is a distinctive feature of the region of residence.

The first thing that attracts a person and sets him up for communication is his eyes. Eye color is considered a gift from nature, fate and parents. It makes a person different from others, different, and sometimes unique. To find out what the rarest eye color is and why some lucky people can boast of it, you need to turn to information from biology and medicine.

3. Green color: red and freckled eyes. Those with green eyes are Eastern and Western Slavs. These are residents of Germany, Iceland, as well as Turks. Pure green eyes are characteristic of no more than 2% of the world's population. Mostly, carriers of the green eye gene are women. It is believed that this rarity is due to the times of the Inquisition - then red-haired, green-eyed women were considered witches and put to fire for connections with evil spirits.

4. Amber-colored eyes: from golden to marsh. This brown variety is warm and light. A rather rare species, its yellowish-golden color is similar to the eyes of a wolf. That's what they are sometimes called. May turn into a red-copper hue. This color is also called walnut. Eyes of this shade are usually given to vampires or werewolves.

5. Black color: passionate eyes. True black color is not common, it is just a shade of brown. The iris of such eyes contains such a huge amount of melanin pigment that it completely absorbs all light rays. This is why the eyes appear jet black. More often they can be found among representatives of the Negroid race, as well as residents of Asia.

Unknown facts about human eyes

7 out of 10 people have brown eyes.

With the help of a special laser operation, brown eyes can be turned into bluish ones. It is believed that if melanin is removed from the iris, it will reveal a blue tint underneath.

10,000 years ago, all people living on the shores of the Black Sea looked at the world with brown eyes. Then, as a result of genetic changes, blue eyes appeared.

The yellow tint of the iris, or “wolf eye” as it is called, is common among many animals, birds, fish and even domestic cats.

Heterochromia is a disease in which the eyes are colored differently. This rare anomaly occurs in only 1% of people on the planet. According to signs, such people are happy and successful in life. It was believed that if a person has eyes of different colors, then he is associated with the devil or demon. These prejudices can be explained by the fear of ordinary people of everything unknown and unusual.

There is still ongoing debate about what the rarest eye color is. Some give the palm to the green shade, some scientists insist on the possibility of the existence on the planet of a select few with violet eyes. Many people talk about acceptable color effects under different degrees of illumination, when eyes can appear amber, lilac, and red. However, everyone's iris color is unique.

People are born with an eye color that is inherited by them due to genetic predisposition. But the color of the iris may also depend on some other factors - the location of pigments, the presence of melanin and the functioning of blood vessels. Brown eye color is considered the most common, and blue-eyed people, despite the generally accepted opinion, are somewhat less common on our planet. Ten thousand years ago, all people had brown eyes.

It is difficult to imagine why the change occurred and other shades arose. But the interesting thing is that there are people with amazing eye color, which makes the look mysterious and unusually beautiful. So what is the rarest eye color?


Green is considered the rarest eye color. Only two percent of people on Earth have this unique eye color. This may be due to the fact that in the Middle Ages, green-eyed beauties were called witches, for which they were subject to burning at the stake. They tried to avoid people with green eyes, believing in their witchcraft abilities.

If we consider the issue from a scientific point of view, then everything is explained by the amount of melanin produced, which is responsible for the color of the eyes. Green-eyed people produce little coloring pigment. There is also an opinion that this eye color occurs in red-haired people.

Owners of such beautiful eyes do not even need to use mascara, because the eyes are already very expressive and deep. Most often, this most beautiful eye color is found in women - it is quite rare to find a green-eyed man.


This is a truly unique eye shade that fascinates and makes you admire. Some even believe that it is simply impossible to have naturally purple eyes. However, this eye color exists in reality, although it is extremely rare to meet owners of this eye color.

Medical representatives believe that this shade is the result of a mutation that is completely harmless and does not negatively affect the organ of vision. But how lucky is the owner of this eye color - once you see these most beautiful eyes, you can “drown” in their attractiveness and depth. Elizabeth Taylor had violet eyes, which made her the most beautiful woman, attracting with her mystery and sexuality.


It is also very rare to find this eye color. Again, red eyes are due to the lack of melanin, and therefore the color of the iris is determined by the work of blood vessels and the presence of collagen fibers. These eyes are also called “albino eyes,” but this is an exception since albinos have mostly brown or blue eyes.


This is a type of brown eye. However, this shade is very rare. The warm golden color of the iris gives the eyes a rather exotic look and special attractiveness.


This eye color, despite its rarity, can still be found in nature more often than all of the above. This shade occurs due to the high content of coloring pigment in the iris. Light hitting the iris is completely absorbed, giving such “darkness” to the eyes. Most often, black eyes can be found among representatives of the Negroid race.

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Whether you are a brown-eyed blonde or a blue-eyed brunette, you probably sometimes wanted to know what you would look like, for example, with green eyes. But not everyone knows that there are many factors, including nutrition and emotions, that can change the iris even without surgery. We will tell you the most interesting things, and also show, using the example of stars, how a radical change in eye color changes your appearance.

website I have collected interesting facts for you about how and why a person’s eye color can change.

1. How mood affects eye color

Vivid emotions are always a shock to the body. With intense joy or intense anger, not only does our heart rate change, our breathing quickens, or, conversely, our breath takes away, but also there is a noticeable accentuation of the color of the iris. It may become more saturated, sometimes darker, sometimes lighter.

Perhaps the most pure color can be observed in people experiencing happy moments.

If your baby was born with blue-gray eyes, then you may well be in for a surprise. The secret of blue eyes, also called "sky effect", lies in the low melanin content in the iris, so light is scattered, and the low density of stromal fibers it appears even brighter - like blue. And most kids at 3–18 months of life, eye color may darken if there is an accumulation of melanocytes in the iris. In particular, among residents of mountainous regions it often happens that blue transforms into walnut. This largely depends on the color of the parents' eyes. Sometimes the full color appears by 10–12 years.

And here In babies born with brown eyes, everything is stable, this is their bright shade for life. Due to the high melanin content, the outer layer of the iris absorbs and reflects light, resulting in brown. By the way, brown-eyed people have a special bonus - more low percentage of eye diseases, but be sure to wear sunglasses. And also, according to research, in the Czech Republic, brown-eyed people are usually perceived as more reliable, but light-eyed women have fewer problems with negativity and depression.

By the way, recent studies have shown that eye color is affected by about 16 genes, which makes it much more difficult forecasting.

3. “Live” nutrition and cleansing the body of toxins

IN there is a theory in alternative medicine about the relationship between the color of the iris and the condition of internal organs. This direction is called iridology, but due to the lack of a solid evidence base, it is still classified as pseudoscientific. But Dr. Robert Morse, a detoxification specialist whose patients were about 1/4 million people, who has long been interested in iridology, notes: according to his observations, The upper quadrant of the eye is linked to brain health, and the inner circle is with the digestive system. However, he says that an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet can significantly change eye color, and has created a series video about your research.

Women have a magical tool with which they can significantly change the shade of their eyes or make them more saturated. And “magic wands” are makeup in various shades, clothing, hair color and jewelry. For example, girls with brown eyes can significantly “lighten” their iris using outfits in golden, pink and light green colors.

And those with blue or green eyes will effectively enhance the richness of their eye color using jewelry made from turquoise, emeralds and stones of blue shades. Wherein neutral white, gray and black colors will allow you to show your true eye color. By the way, if you wear glasses, ask your specialist to choose them with AR lenses, which will be more comfortable for you and also neutralize glare, which will allow others to see the color of your eyes without distortion.

5. Sunlight and location

Brown eyes- the most common on earth: they can be found 70% of the world's population on all continents - from Australia to North and South America. And in some regions, almost all residents - 95% of the Japanese, indigenous people of China, the Middle East, South America, Southern Europe and Oceania. In the USA, almost half of the people are brown-eyed.

There are more people with blue eyes in Northern Europe: in Estonia, Denmark and Finland - 89% of the population, in Germany - 75%, in Great Britain - 50%. Sometimes this shade is found in Syria, among Ashkenazi Jews, Tajiks and among the mountain Pamiris. By the way, in 2008, geneticists at the University of Copenhagen discovered that the blue iris is a mutation in a gene that arose 6–10 thousand years ago. Dr. Eyberg noted that " everyone originally had brown eyes, and the mutation reduced melanin production.” According to scientists, this first happened in the north-west of the Black Sea region.

And here green eye color - only for 2 % inhabitants of the planet. The shade was formed due to the moderate content of melanin and a mixture of yellow-brown pigments. Most often found in residents of Spain, Ireland, Russia, Brazil, Iceland, and Pakistan. A The rarest eye color is yellow, it is formed in the presence of lipochrome pigment.

6. Laser “lightening” eye color

Previously, operations to implant an implant were carried out, which implied a great risk, sometimes it was a question of loss of vision, as happened with one Argentine Instagram star. But since 2011, they began to develop laser correction, which was invented by Dr. Greg Homer from the USA. Using a laser, melanin cells are destroyed, due to which the iris can be “lightened”. That is people with brown and black eyes can become blue-eyed, blue-eyed or gray-eyed.

By the way, The procedure lasts only about 20 seconds, and the final result is visible in 2–4 weeks. Homer was given this idea by a dermatologist friend who burns out moles and pigment with a laser. The first studies showed that the operation does not affect vision, but To study all the consequences, you need time with eyes of green-blue or hazel-green shades, which are also called Hazel." Doctors do not find vision problems in such individuals, and there is also no confirmation that this “gift” is transmitted genetically.

According to biologists, a uniform change in the shade of the iris is associated with processes in the nervous and endocrine systems, but often the reason lies in Rayleigh scattering and the amount of melanin. Chameleon eyes always react to stress, love experiences, fatigue, and the environment and climate change can also cause color changes. A psychologists observe unpredictability in such people and a certain tendency towards mischief, in fact, we are talking about a mixture of temperaments.