OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of dry eye disease in the normal non-complaining population. METHODS Prospective systematic random sampling study of 251 subjects who accompanied patients with appointments to the eye clinic. Interviewers administered a dry eye symptoms and risk factor questionnaire. Tear film break up time, fluorescein corneal staining and Schirmer's test were performed. Slit lamp examination to evaluate the lid margins, Meibomian glands and ocular surface structures was also performed. RESULTS Dry eye was diagnosed in 234 (93.2%) subjects on the basis of presence of one or more symptoms occurring often or most of the time, together with one or more of the following signs: tear film break up time < or = 10 seconds, fluorescein corneal staining > or = grade 1 and Schirmer test score < or = 5 mm. There was no statistically significant association between dry eye with advancing age or gender. Blepharitis was detected in 215 (91.9%) of the dry eye cases. Smoking was found to be the second most common risk factor as 18.8% of the dry eye cases were smokers. Sicca syndrome was found in 24.4% of the subjects. CONCLUSIONS Dry eye is very prevalent disease. Blepharitis was found to be very common among dry eye cases. There was no statistically significant association between dry eye and age or gender in our study population.