While the global fight against HIV/AIDS has made remarkable progress—with deaths plummeting by 69% since 2004 and new infections dropping 22% in the last decade—the sobering reality is that nearly 40 million people worldwide are still living with the virus, highlighting a critical gap between our achievements and the urgent work that remains.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, approximately 39.0 million people were living with HIV globally, including 1.4 million children aged 0-14 years.
- An estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2022, marking a 22% decline from 2010 levels.
- Globally, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2022, down 69% since the peak in 2004.
- In 2022, 1.5 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa were living with HIV, the highest regional burden.
- Western and Central Africa had 5.1 million people living with HIV in 2022.
- In Asia and the Pacific, 6.7 million people were living with HIV in 2022.
- Globally, young women aged 15-24 accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2022 despite being only 10% of the population.
- Adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 in Eastern and Southern Africa face 3.3 times higher HIV risk than young men.
- In 2022, 38 million adults aged 15+ were living with HIV globally.
- Heterosexual transmission accounted for 72% of new HIV infections among adults in 2022 globally.
- In Eastern and Southern Africa, 80% of new infections were through sex between men and women in 2022.
- Sex between men accounted for 21% of new HIV infections globally in 2022.
- Condom use during sex with non-regular partners reached 70% in high HIV burden countries in 2022.
- Voluntary medical male circumcision averted an estimated 3.5 million new HIV infections in 15 countries since 2010.
- PrEP use prevented 74,000 new infections globally in 2022.
While progress has been made against HIV, key populations still face a disproportionately high infection risk.
Demographic Breakdowns
- Globally, young women aged 15-24 accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2022 despite being only 10% of the population.
- Adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 in Eastern and Southern Africa face 3.3 times higher HIV risk than young men.
- In 2022, 38 million adults aged 15+ were living with HIV globally.
- Children aged 0-14 represent 3.6% of all people living with HIV globally in 2022.
- Globally, 4 in 10 new HIV infections in 2022 were among young people aged 15-24.
- Women and girls accounted for 53.6% of people living with HIV aged 15+ in 2022.
- In the US, Black/African American people represented 40% of new HIV diagnoses in 2021 despite being 12% of the population.
- Hispanic/Latino people accounted for 29% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021.
- Gay and bisexual men accounted for 67% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2021.
- Globally, people who inject drugs represent 12% of new HIV infections in 2022.
- Sex workers accounted for 12% of new HIV infections globally despite being less than 1% of the adult population in 2022.
- Transgender people are 15 times more likely to acquire HIV than the general adult population globally.
- In 2022, 73% of all children living with HIV were accessing ART globally.
- Globally, 89% of pregnant women living with HIV accessed ART in 2022 to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
- Globally, young women (15-24) accounted for 25% of new HIV infections among adults in 2023.
- 1.4 million children (0-14) were living with HIV globally in 2023.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, girls aged 15-19 are 4 times more likely to be living with HIV than boys.
- Black/African Americans accounted for 40.1% of HIV diagnoses in the US in 2022.
- Hispanic/Latino people were 32.7% of new HIV diagnoses in large US cities in 2022.
- Males accounted for 80.6% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2022.
- Gay/bisexual men were 65% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2022.
- People aged 13-24 accounted for 19% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2022.
- Transgender women had an HIV prevalence of 14% in the US in recent surveys.
- Globally, sex workers are 30 times more at risk of HIV infection.
- People who inject drugs have 22 times higher HIV risk globally.
- Prison populations have 3 times higher HIV prevalence than general population.
- Globally, 71% [66–76%] of all children living with HIV were on ART in 2023.
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim, predictable picture: the virus cruelly mirrors our societal failures, disproportionately targeting the marginalized, the young, the poor, and communities of color, proving HIV is less a random plague and more a stark reflection of entrenched inequality.
Global Statistics
- In 2022, approximately 39.0 million people were living with HIV globally, including 1.4 million children aged 0-14 years.
- An estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2022, marking a 22% decline from 2010 levels.
- Globally, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2022, down 69% since the peak in 2004.
- 86% of all people living with HIV knew their HIV status in 2022 worldwide.
- Among those who knew their status, 76% were accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally in 2022.
- 29.8 million people were accessing ART in 2022 out of 39 million living with HIV globally.
- HIV prevalence among adults aged 15-49 was 0.8% globally in 2022.
- Women accounted for 53% of all people living with HIV globally in 2022.
- Key populations including sex workers, gay men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, and prisoners represent only 0.4% of the global population but account for 47% of new HIV infections.
- In 2022, an estimated 1.30 million [1.13–1.50 million] individuals worldwide acquired HIV.
- The number of people living with HIV globally in 2022 was 39.0 million [37.6–40.6 million].
- AIDS-related deaths in 2022 numbered 630 000 [530 000–740 000] globally.
- 86% [83–89%] of all people living with HIV knew their HIV status in 2022.
- 76% [73–79%] of all people living with HIV were accessing treatment in 2022.
- 72% [68–75%] of all people living with HIV had suppressed viral loads in 2022.
- HIV prevalence in adults (aged 15-49 years) was 0.8% globally in 2022.
- Females aged 15+ represented 53% of adults living with HIV in 2022 globally.
- An estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2023 globally.
- 39.9 million [36.8 million–44.0 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2023 globally.
- In 2021, 36.3 million people were living with HIV globally per WHO estimates.
Global Statistics Interpretation
Progress in the HIV/AIDS fight is like a stubborn stain on a white shirt—while we've managed to shrink it dramatically (with deaths down 69% and new infections down 22%), we still haven't gotten it all the way out, as tragically highlighted by the fact that key populations make up less than half a percent of us all yet bear nearly half of all new infections.
Mortality and Socioeconomic Impact
- Global AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 69% since the 2004 peak of 2.1 million.
- New HIV infections dropped 59% from the 1995 peak of 3.3 million to 1.3 million in 2022.
- Without accelerated action, 34 million AIDS-related deaths are projected between 2023-2050.
- AIDS-related illnesses caused 40.4 million deaths globally since the epidemic began.
- In 2022, children accounted for 8.2% of AIDS-related deaths globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa saw 400,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2022, 64% of the global total.
- HIV is the leading cause of death among women aged 15-49 globally.
- In South Africa, HIV contributed to 17% of all deaths in 2022.
- Globally, HIV stigma affects 1 in 3 people living with HIV, hindering treatment access.
- Economic cost of HIV in low- and middle-income countries is estimated at $1 trillion cumulatively.
- Orphans due to AIDS numbered 15.2 million children globally in 2022.
- In 2022, 9.3 million people living with HIV were not on ART, at risk of death and transmission.
- TB remains the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, killing 167,000 in 2022.
- Globally, AIDS deaths were 630,000 in 2023, down 69% from 2004 peak.
- 14 million AIDS deaths averted since 2000 due to ART scale-up.
- TB caused 167,000 deaths among PLHIV in 2023.
- Children under 10 had 90,000 AIDS deaths in 2023.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV remains top killer for ages 15-44.
- Stigma and discrimination affect 1 in 5 PLHIV accessing services.
- 15.5 million children orphaned by AIDS in 2023 globally.
- HIV epidemic costs $14.6 trillion in economic losses by 2030 if unchecked.
- Gender inequality increases women's HIV vulnerability by 50% in high-prevalence areas.
Mortality and Socioeconomic Impact Interpretation
The statistics show a heartening drop in AIDS-related deaths, yet they also stubbornly reveal a persistent and costly epidemic fueled by inequality and complacency.
Prevention and Treatment
- Condom use during sex with non-regular partners reached 70% in high HIV burden countries in 2022.
- Voluntary medical male circumcision averted an estimated 3.5 million new HIV infections in 15 countries since 2010.
- PrEP use prevented 74,000 new infections globally in 2022.
- 85% of children under 15 newly infected with HIV in 2022 acquired it through mother-to-child transmission.
- Global ART coverage reached 76% for adults and 73% for children in 2022.
- Viral suppression among people on ART was 72% in adults and 62% in children globally in 2022.
- In 2022, 92% of HIV-positive pregnant women received ART to prevent transmission to their babies.
- HIV testing services reached 86% of people living with HIV globally in 2022.
- Needle-syringe programmes provided 12 billion clean syringes in low- and middle-income countries in 2022.
- Opioid substitution therapy reached 580,000 people who inject drugs in 2022.
- Dolutegravir-based regimens were used by 75% of people on first-line ART in low- and middle-income countries by 2022.
- In the US, 66% of people living with diagnosed HIV were virally suppressed in 2021.
- Globally, 82% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2023.
- 77% of people living with HIV were on ART in 2023 globally.
- 72% of adults and 65% of children on ART had viral load suppression in 2023.
- 91% of pregnant women living with HIV accessed ART in 2023.
- PrEP initiations reached 1.3 million globally in 2023.
- Male circumcision coverage for HIV prevention was 52% in priority countries.
- Condom use with clients among female sex workers averaged 89% in 2023 surveys.
- Needle programmes distributed services to 50% of people who inject drugs needing them.
- 93% of infants exposed to HIV through mother-to-child received testing within 2 months.
- Dolutegravir first-line ART use exceeded 80% in low/middle-income countries.
- In the US, 64.4% of diagnosed PLHIV were virally suppressed in 2022.
Prevention and Treatment Interpretation
While the fight against HIV shows encouraging progress through tools like condoms, circumcision, and medicine, the persistently sobering gaps in reaching and suppressing the virus in children highlight that our work is far from finished.
Regional Statistics
- In 2022, 1.5 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa were living with HIV, the highest regional burden.
- Western and Central Africa had 5.1 million people living with HIV in 2022.
- In Asia and the Pacific, 6.7 million people were living with HIV in 2022.
- Western and Central Europe and North America reported 2.3 million people living with HIV in 2022.
- Latin America had 2.4 million people living with HIV in 2022.
- In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 1.8 million people were living with HIV in 2022, up 10% since 2010.
- Middle East and North Africa had 390,000 people living with HIV in 2022.
- In 2022, Eastern and Southern Africa accounted for 20.8% of global new HIV infections with 650,000 cases.
- South Africa had the largest number of people living with HIV at 7.8 million in 2022.
- Nigeria reported 1.9 million people living with HIV in 2022.
- In the United States, 1.2 million people were living with HIV in 2021.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 25.6 million people were living with HIV in 2022, representing 65% of the global total.
- In 2022, Eastern Europe saw a 10% increase in new HIV infections to 170,000.
- Caribbean region had 320,000 people living with HIV in 2022.
- In Western Africa, new HIV infections declined by 37% since 2010 to 190,000 in 2022.
- Eastern and Southern Africa: 20.6 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Western and Central Africa: 5.1 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Asia and Pacific: 6.8 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Western/Central Europe & North America: 2.3 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Eastern Europe & Central Asia: 2.0 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Latin America: 2.5 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- Caribbean: 330,000 people living with HIV in 2023.
- Middle East & North Africa: 400,000 people living with HIV in 2023.
- In South Africa, 7.8 million adults aged 15-49 were living with HIV in 2023, prevalence 19%.
- Nigeria had 2.0 million people living with HIV in 2023.
- In the US, new HIV diagnoses were 31,800 in 2022.
- Mozambique reported HIV prevalence of 11% among adults in 2023.
- Eswatini had the highest adult HIV prevalence at 27% in 2023.
Regional Statistics Interpretation
While Africa shoulders a disproportionate and heartbreaking share of the global HIV burden, these numbers starkly remind us that this is not a distant epidemic but a relentless, worldwide crisis demanding a correspondingly global response.
Transmission Methods
- Heterosexual transmission accounted for 72% of new HIV infections among adults in 2022 globally.
- In Eastern and Southern Africa, 80% of new infections were through sex between men and women in 2022.
- Sex between men accounted for 21% of new HIV infections globally in 2022.
- People who inject drugs contributed to 11% of new global HIV infections in 2022.
- Mother-to-child transmission has declined 62% since 2010, with 83% prevention coverage in 2022.
- In the US, 68% of new HIV transmissions in 2021 were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact.
- Globally, only 65% of people living with HIV had viral suppression in 2022.
- Sharing needles and syringes among people who inject drugs causes 10% of new HIV infections worldwide.
- In Eastern Europe, 55% of new HIV infections in 2022 were among people who inject drugs.
- Unsafe medical injections account for less than 0.1% of new HIV infections globally due to prevention efforts.
- Sex between men caused 30% of new infections outside sub-Saharan Africa in 2023.
- Heterosexual sex accounted for 64% of new global HIV infections in 2023.
- In Eastern Europe, 50% of new infections were among people who inject drugs in 2023.
- Mother-to-child transmission rate reduced to 9% with ART prophylaxis.
- In the US, heterosexual contact caused 21% of new HIV diagnoses in 2022.
- Injection drug use accounted for 7% of new US HIV diagnoses in 2022.
- Globally, undiagnosed HIV cases drive 30% of new transmissions.
- Viral suppression prevents 99% of sexual transmissions per act.
- TB/HIV co-infection leads to 1 in 3 AIDS deaths.
Transmission Methods Interpretation
While impressive prevention progress has been made, the enduring dominance of heterosexual transmission globally underscores that complacency is a virus for which we have no cure.