The real percentage of green eyes in Spain under scrutiny
Studies put blue and grey eyes at 15-18% and hazel at 55% in Spain, but pure green still has no reliable figure.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Green eyes in Spain: from the 2% myth to figures that don't add up
How many Spaniards have green eyes? The short answer is that nobody knows for sure. The 2% figure that circulates as popular wisdom clashes with scientific studies that in Spain put blue and grey eyes at 15-18% and place hazel above 50%. Pure green, somewhere in between, hides behind a poorly defined boundary.
The 2% nobody believes
The 2% figure appears as the worldwide percentage of green eyes, but the Spanish reality resists it. More than half the population has hazel eyes, a broad category mixing brown, green and gold. Blue and grey eyes would add up to between 15% and 18%. Outside Spain, hazel accounts for 5% to 8% and blue for 8% to 10%. In Spain, however, hazel reaches 55%. Something doesn't add up in the classification.
The boundary that changes with the light
The problem is taxonomic. Iris colour depends on melanin, ambient light and age. Some people describe their eyes as green in the morning and brown in the afternoon. Cataract surgery, according to several accounts, lightens dark green irises until they turn light green. Some even claim to have seen yellow eyes, like a cat's. The real percentage depends on who is looking, when and with what light. It is no minor detail.
Córdoba, the exception that fuels the legend
One of the most repeated claims is Córdoba as an area where green and blue eyes are concentrated. The most commonly heard explanation points to the historical mixing with populations from northern Europe, of Danish heritage. No study confirms it, but the observation keeps coming up among visitors to the city.
Until there is an officially accredited iris colorimeter, every Spaniard will have eyes of whatever colour suits them best. Science, for now, only knows that green is a serious measurement problem.
How many Spaniards have green eyes? The short answer is that nobody knows for sure. The 2% figure that circulates as popular wisdom clashes with scientific studies that in Spain put blue and grey eyes at 15-18% and place hazel above 50%. Pure green, somewhere in between, hides behind a poorly defined boundary.
The 2% nobody believes
The 2% figure appears as the worldwide percentage of green eyes, but the Spanish reality resists it. More than half the population has hazel eyes, a broad category mixing brown, green and gold. Blue and grey eyes would add up to between 15% and 18%. Outside Spain, hazel accounts for 5% to 8% and blue for 8% to 10%. In Spain, however, hazel reaches 55%. Something doesn't add up in the classification.
The boundary that changes with the light
The problem is taxonomic. Iris colour depends on melanin, ambient light and age. Some people describe their eyes as green in the morning and brown in the afternoon. Cataract surgery, according to several accounts, lightens dark green irises until they turn light green. Some even claim to have seen yellow eyes, like a cat's. The real percentage depends on who is looking, when and with what light. It is no minor detail.
Córdoba, the exception that fuels the legend
One of the most repeated claims is Córdoba as an area where green and blue eyes are concentrated. The most commonly heard explanation points to the historical mixing with populations from northern Europe, of Danish heritage. No study confirms it, but the observation keeps coming up among visitors to the city.
Until there is an officially accredited iris colorimeter, every Spaniard will have eyes of whatever colour suits them best. Science, for now, only knows that green is a serious measurement problem.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (88 replies).
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