Green eyes
If you have green eyes, you’re in luck. In addition to being the rarest eye color among Americans, green eyes are the most attractive, according to 66,000 people who voted in our survey.
Just how rare are green eyes? Fewer than one out of every 10 Americans (9%) has them. But why are eyes so rare?
Surrounding each pupil, the colored portion of our eyes is called the iris. A pigment called melanin is responsible for that color —
the same pigment that determines the color of our skin. And just like our skin, less melanin means lighter colors, while more
melanin equals darker colors.
In Iceland, you’ll find 89 percent of women and 87percent of men have either blue eyes. That is considerably more
than the mere 15percent of the U.S. population that has blue eyes.
But of course, even though Europe has the highest percentages, anyone of any nationality can have blue eyes.
Green eyes don’t actually have any color-
That’s right – strange but true! While green eyes appear that lovely shade of emerald to the outside observer, the irises
themselves have no actual pigment. Similar to blue eyes, the color we perceive is a result of the lack of melanin in the iris.
The less melanin in the iris, the more light scatters out, which makes the eyes look green. Ever heard from someone that their
eyes change color? Turns out, it’s somewhat true. Changes in light make lighter eyes look like they are changing colors, sort of like a chameleon.
