Imagine a world where nearly 40 million people live with a single virus, a global crisis that has claimed 40 million lives and reshapes our communities, economies, and future every single day.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, an estimated 39.0 million people aged 15-49 years were living with HIV worldwide
- Globally, 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2022
- In 2022, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide
- In 2022, 53% of all people living with HIV were women and girls
- Adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 accounted for 25% of new HIV infections among adults in 2022 despite being 10% of the population
- In Eastern and southern Africa, women and girls aged 15-24 were 3.2 times more likely to acquire HIV than young men in 2022
- Globally, heterosexual transmission accounts for 72% of new HIV infections in 2022
- Sex between men accounts for 20% of new HIV infections globally in 2022
- People who inject drugs account for 10% of new HIV infections worldwide in 2022
- Globally, 77% of people living with HIV on ART had viral suppression in 2022
- 75% of all people living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2022
- In Eastern and southern Africa, treatment coverage reached 84% in 2022
- AIDS-related illnesses caused 630,000 deaths in 2022, down 69% from 2004 peak
- Globally, 40.4 million people have died from AIDS since 1980
- In 2022, Eastern and southern Africa saw 250,000 AIDS deaths
HIV persists globally, with new infections, deaths, and stark inequities requiring urgent action.
Demographics
- In 2022, 53% of all people living with HIV were women and girls
- Adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 accounted for 25% of new HIV infections among adults in 2022 despite being 10% of the population
- In Eastern and southern Africa, women and girls aged 15-24 were 3.2 times more likely to acquire HIV than young men in 2022
- Globally, 3.8 million children aged 0-14 were living with HIV in 2022
- 88% of children living with HIV reside in sub-Saharan Africa
- Key populations including sex workers, gay men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, and prisoners account for 50% of new infections in 2022
- In Western and central Africa, 64% of new HIV infections among young people aged 15-24 in 2022 were among young women
- Globally, people aged 50 and older represent 18% of people living with HIV in 2022
- In North America, 80% of new HIV diagnoses in 2021 were among gay and bisexual men
- Black/African American adults accounted for 40% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021 despite being 12% of the population
- Hispanic/Latino people accounted for 29% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021
- Women accounted for 18% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021
- Transgender women accounted for 2% of new HIV diagnoses but 16 times higher rate than cisgender women in the US
- In South Africa, females aged 15-24 had an HIV incidence rate 4.6 times higher than males in 2022
- Globally, 54% of adults aged 15+ living with HIV are women
- Children under 15 account for 5% of all people living with HIV globally
- Gay men and other men who have sex with men account for 22% of people living with HIV globally
- People who inject drugs represent 10% of new HIV infections globally
- Sex workers account for 6.3% of new HIV infections globally despite being <1% of population
- Transgender people have 18% HIV prevalence globally among key populations
- In the US, 69% of people living with diagnosed HIV in 2021 were gay and bisexual men
- Black Americans represent 40% of people living with HIV in the US
- In 2021, 20% of new HIV diagnoses in the US were among people aged 13-24
- Females represent 24% of people living with diagnosed HIV in the US in 2021
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 66% of people living with HIV are women
Demographics Interpretation
These statistics reveal that while HIV is a universal plague, it is not an equal-opportunity one, instead cruelly exploiting existing global fault lines of gender, geography, race, poverty, and marginalization.
Global Epidemiology
- In 2022, an estimated 39.0 million people aged 15-49 years were living with HIV worldwide
- Globally, 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2022
- In 2022, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide
- HIV prevalence among adults aged 15-49 was 0.8% globally in 2022
- 1.5 million children aged 0-14 were living with HIV in 2022
- 86% of all people living with HIV knew their HIV status in 2022
- 76% of all people living with HIV were accessing antiretroviral therapy in 2022
- 29.8 million people were accessing antiretroviral therapy in 2022
- Worldwide, young women aged 15-24 accounted for 27% of new HIV infections in 2022 despite being only 10% of the population
- An estimated 40 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the epidemic began
- In 2022, Eastern and southern Africa accounted for 20.8 million people living with HIV
- Western and central Africa had 5.1 million people living with HIV in 2022
- Asia and Pacific region had 6.7 million people living with HIV in 2022
- Western and central Europe and North America had 2.3 million people living with HIV in 2022
- Latin America had 2.7 million people living with HIV in 2022
- Eastern Europe and central Asia had 1.9 million people living with HIV in 2022
- Caribbean had 340,000 people living with HIV in 2022
- Middle East and North Africa had 390,000 people living with HIV in 2022
- New HIV infections globally peaked at 3.3 million in 1996
- AIDS-related deaths peaked at 2.3 million in 2004
- Global HIV prevalence peaked at 6.2% among adults 15-49 in 1996
- 38.4 million people were living with HIV at end of 2021
- 1.5 million new HIV infections occurred globally in 2021
- 650,000 AIDS-related deaths occurred in 2021
- 28.7 million people accessed HIV treatment globally in 2021
- 85% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2021
- 75% of people living with HIV were on treatment in 2021
- Global new infections declined by 22% from 2010 to 2021
- AIDS deaths declined by 51% from 2010 to 2021 globally
- 1 in 23 adults aged 15-49 in sub-Saharan Africa lived with HIV in 2022
Global Epidemiology Interpretation
The sobering arithmetic of 2022 reveals a world where remarkable progress in treatment and awareness is persistently shadowed by the grim, unequal geography of new infections and loss, reminding us that the epidemic's end requires closing the gap between the statistics we celebrate and the lives they represent.
Mortality
- AIDS-related illnesses caused 630,000 deaths in 2022, down 69% from 2004 peak
- Globally, 40.4 million people have died from AIDS since 1980
- In 2022, Eastern and southern Africa saw 250,000 AIDS deaths
- Western and central Africa had 110,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Asia-Pacific region had 110,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Latin America had 36,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Eastern Europe and central Asia had 41,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Western Europe and North America had 13,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Children aged 0-14 accounted for 38,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In the US, 17,804 people died with HIV as underlying cause in 2021
- AIDS deaths in the US declined 18% from 2020 to 2021
- Among gay/bisexual men in US, 5,657 deaths in 2021
- Black/African Americans accounted for 41% of HIV deaths in US in 2021
- Hispanic/Latinos accounted for 26% of HIV deaths in US in 2021
- Women accounted for 18% of HIV deaths in US in 2021
- Globally, AIDS is the 4th leading cause of death among women aged 15-44
- Without treatment, average survival after AIDS diagnosis is 3 years
- With ART, life expectancy approaches that of uninfected individuals
- TB is leading cause of death among PLHIV, causing 167,000 deaths in 2022
- In South Africa, 110,000 AIDS deaths occurred in 2022
- Zimbabwe saw 11,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In Nigeria, 45,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Mozambique had 29,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In Kenya, 23,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
Mortality Interpretation
While the global war on AIDS deserves a victory lap for cutting deaths by nearly 70% since its peak, the persistently grim regional and demographic tolls serve as a sobering reminder that the enemy still holds far too much territory.
Socioeconomic Impact
- HIV epidemic has orphaned 15.2 million children globally as of 2021
- AIDS-related stigma affects 1 in 3 people living with HIV globally
- HIV costs global economy $34.7 trillion in lost earnings from 2000-2025 projected
- In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV reduces GDP growth by 0.5-1.2% annually
- 9.2 million children lost teachers due to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025 projection
- Women living with HIV face 30% higher gender-based violence rates
- Global HIV response funding was $21.7 billion in 2022
- Only 1% of people who inject drugs globally have access to opioid substitution therapy
- Discrimination prevents 10% of PLHIV from disclosing status
- HIV contributes to 4% of total healthcare spending in high-prevalence countries
- In the US, lifetime cost of HIV treatment per person is $500,000+
- 50 million children could be orphaned by AIDS by 2025 in Africa projection
- HIV stigma leads to 20% job loss among diagnosed individuals in surveys
- Global AIDS funding needs $29.3 billion annually by 2025 for 95-95-95 targets
- In Eastern Europe, HIV drives 25% increase in prison health costs
- Women-headed households due to AIDS rose 15% in affected regions
- Lost productivity from AIDS equals 2-4% GDP in worst-hit countries
Socioeconomic Impact Interpretation
The HIV epidemic is not just a health crisis but a voracious economic and social thief, stealing parents from children, teachers from classrooms, dignity from individuals, and trillions from the global economy, all while we chronically underfund the tools to stop it.
Transmission
- Globally, heterosexual transmission accounts for 72% of new HIV infections in 2022
- Sex between men accounts for 20% of new HIV infections globally in 2022
- People who inject drugs account for 10% of new HIV infections worldwide in 2022
- Mother-to-child transmission causes 8% of new HIV infections in children in 2022
- In Eastern Europe and central Asia, 55% of new infections are due to injecting drug use
- In Western Europe and North America, 64% of new infections are among gay men
- In Latin America, sex between men drives 47% of new infections
- In sub-Saharan Africa, heterosexual sex accounts for 90% of transmissions
- Globally, only 48% of sex workers used condoms consistently with clients in 2022
- Among gay men, 33% reported condomless anal sex in past year in high-income countries
- Needle-syringe sharing among people who inject drugs was 22% in Eastern Europe in 2022
- Mother-to-child transmission rate without intervention is 15-45%
- With ART, mother-to-child transmission risk drops to <5%
- In the US, 68% of new transmissions in 2021 were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact
- Heterosexual contact accounted for 22% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021
- Injection drug use accounted for 7% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021
- Per-act risk of HIV transmission from receptive anal sex is 1.38%
- Per-act risk from insertive anal sex is 0.11%
- Vaginal sex receptive risk is 0.08%
- Needle sharing risk is 0.63% per act
Transmission Interpretation
The stark geography of risk reveals a sobering truth: while global headlines fixate on one driver, the virus exploits any vulnerability, from the systemic neglect of drug users in the East to the persistent gaps in prevention among gay men in the West, proving that the most effective cure remains targeted, evidence-based compassion for every community on the map.
Treatment
- Globally, 77% of people living with HIV on ART had viral suppression in 2022
- 75% of all people living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2022
- In Eastern and southern Africa, treatment coverage reached 84% in 2022
- In Western and central Africa, only 56% were on treatment in 2022
- Globally, children have only 63% treatment coverage compared to 77% for adults
- 80% viral suppression among adults on ART globally in 2022
- In high-income countries, 95% of people on ART are virally suppressed
- Differentiated service delivery models reached 30 million people in 2022
- 54% of children living with HIV received ART in 2022
- In South Africa, 93% of known HIV-positive people were on ART in 2022
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was used by 1.3 million people globally in 2022
- Dolutegravir-based regimens used by 75% of people on first-line ART in low/middle-income countries by 2022
- In the US, 66% of people with diagnosed HIV were virally suppressed in 2021
- 78% of diagnosed people in the US received HIV care in 2021
- Viral suppression rates among gay/bisexual men in US reached 68% in 2021
- Among Black Americans with HIV, 57% were virally suppressed in 2021
- Hispanic/Latino viral suppression rate was 64% in the US in 2021
- 89% linkage to care within 1 month of diagnosis in US overall
- Globally, treatment prevented 21.5 million AIDS-related deaths between 2000-2022
Treatment Interpretation
The global fight against HIV is a story of remarkable progress shadowed by stubborn gaps, where a child in Africa is less likely to get treatment than an adult, and where your zip code or bank account still too often dictates your chance of achieving a healthy, suppressed viral load.