While a world of remarkable medical progress exists, the stark reality painted by 2022's global HIV statistics reveals a persistent and complex epidemic, with over 39 million people living with HIV and deeply uneven impacts across regions and demographics.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, an estimated 39.0 million people were living with HIV globally, including 1.4 million children aged 0-14 years
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 65% of people living with HIV worldwide in 2022, with approximately 25.6 million cases
- In Western and Central Europe and North America, 75% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2022
- In 2022, 1.30 million people acquired HIV globally, with 160,000 children aged 0-14 years
- New HIV infections declined by 22% from 2010 to 2022 globally, from 2.1 million to 1.3 million
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 67% of new HIV infections worldwide in 2022
- In 2022, 630,000 AIDS-related deaths occurred globally
- AIDS-related deaths declined 69% since peak of 2.0 million in 2004 to 630,000 in 2022
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 73% of AIDS deaths in 2022, about 460,000
- In 2022, 86% of people living with HIV were on antiretroviral therapy globally
- Viral suppression among those on ART reached 72% globally in 2022 (71% adults, 63% children)
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 82% of PLHIV were on treatment in 2022
- Globally, 88% of infants exposed to HIV were tested within 2 months of birth in 2022
- In 2022, 86% of people living with HIV knew their status globally
- Sub-Saharan Africa tested 81% of adults 15-64 at least once in 2022
HIV remains a global crisis, but progress in testing and treatment offers hope.
Incidence
- In 2022, 1.30 million people acquired HIV globally, with 160,000 children aged 0-14 years
- New HIV infections declined by 22% from 2010 to 2022 globally, from 2.1 million to 1.3 million
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 67% of new HIV infections worldwide in 2022
- In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, new HIV infections increased by 25% from 2010 to 2022
- Globally, adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 accounted for 75% of new HIV infections among adolescents in 2022
- In 2022, there were 120,000 new HIV infections among children aged 0-14 globally
- The US saw 32,100 new HIV infections in 2021 among persons aged 13 and older
- New infections in Western and Central Africa decreased by 35% from 2010 to 2022
- In 2022, key populations accounted for 47% of new HIV infections globally
- Latin America had 170,000 new HIV infections in 2022
- In 2022, new HIV infections among adults 15+ were 1.14 million globally
- Eastern and Southern Africa saw 640,000 new infections in 2022
- Globally, new infections fell 59% among children since 2010, to 120,000 in 2022
- In the US, gay and bisexual men accounted for 67% of new HIV diagnoses in 2021
- Middle East and North Africa had 39,000 new infections in 2022, up 26% since 2010
- Asia and Pacific region had 270,000 new infections in 2022
- Caribbean saw 21,000 new infections in 2022
- In 2022, 250,000 new infections occurred among young women aged 15-24 globally
- New infections in Western Europe and North America stable at 36,000 in 2022
- In South Africa, 150,000 new infections in 2022
- Globally, 160,000 children newly infected in 2022, mostly via mother-to-child transmission
- Incidence rate among adults 15-49 was 0.18% globally in 2022
- In 2021, US incidence rate was 11.3 per 100,000 population
- New infections among transgender people estimated at 4,100 globally in 2022
- In 2022, 71,000 new infections in Nigeria
- Adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa had incidence 3 times higher than boys in 2022
- Globally, new infections peaked at 3.3 million in 1996 and fell to 1.3 million in 2022
Incidence Interpretation
While global HIV infections have impressively halved from their 1990s peak, the stubbornly high and uneven burden—from 120,000 newly infected children to rising cases in Eastern Europe and young women bearing the brunt—reveals a world still failing its most vulnerable.
Mortality
- In 2022, 630,000 AIDS-related deaths occurred globally
- AIDS-related deaths declined 69% since peak of 2.0 million in 2004 to 630,000 in 2022
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 73% of AIDS deaths in 2022, about 460,000
- In 2022, 90,000 children aged 0-14 died from AIDS-related causes
- Globally, 36.3 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since epidemic began
- In the US, 5,954 people died with HIV as underlying cause in 2021
- AIDS mortality in Western and Central Africa fell 52% from 2010 to 2022
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia saw AIDS deaths double to 57,000 in 2022
- In 2022, women accounted for 48% of AIDS-related deaths globally
- Latin America had 37,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Since 1981, cumulative AIDS deaths globally exceed 40 million
- Eastern and Southern Africa had 410,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In 2022, 11,000 adolescents aged 10-19 died from AIDS-related causes
- US HIV mortality rate was 1.6 per 100,000 in 2021
- Middle East and North Africa AIDS deaths up 50% since 2010 to 13,000 in 2022
- Asia and Pacific had 110,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Caribbean recorded 8,900 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In South Africa, 104,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- Globally, TB was leading cause of death among PLHIV, 167,000 deaths in 2022
- Western Europe and North America had 11,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- In 2022, 120,000 children died from AIDS, down 62% since 2010
- Nigeria saw 53,000 AIDS deaths in 2022
- AIDS mortality rate globally was 7.7 per 100,000 in 2022
- Cumulative US AIDS deaths since 1981: over 700,000
- In 2022, 77% of AIDS deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa
Mortality Interpretation
While the global fight against AIDS has made heroic strides—cutting deaths by over two-thirds since its peak—the sobering persistence of the epidemic, particularly for women and children in sub-Saharan Africa and amidst troubling resurgences in other regions, reminds us that victory in this war is still a continent away.
Prevalence
- In 2022, an estimated 39.0 million people were living with HIV globally, including 1.4 million children aged 0-14 years
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 65% of people living with HIV worldwide in 2022, with approximately 25.6 million cases
- In Western and Central Europe and North America, 75% of people living with HIV knew their status in 2022
- Women and girls accounted for 53% of all people living with HIV globally in 2022
- In 2022, 1.3 million people aged 15 and older acquired HIV globally
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia saw a 25% increase in people living with HIV from 2010 to 2022, reaching 1.8 million
- In Latin America, about 2.5 million people were living with HIV in 2022, representing 6% of the global total
- Middle East and North Africa had an estimated 370,000 people living with HIV in 2022
- In Asia and the Pacific, 6.7 million people were living with HIV in 2022
- Caribbean region had around 320,000 people living with HIV in 2022
- In the United States, 1.2 million people aged 13 and older were living with HIV in 2021
- South Africa had the largest number of people living with HIV at 7.8 million in 2022
- In 2022, 25 million people living with HIV were in sub-Saharan Africa east and southern regions
- Globally, 53% of adults aged 15+ living with HIV were women in 2022
- In 2022, an estimated 1.5 million children under 15 were living with HIV globally
- Western Africa had 1.9 million people living with HIV in 2022
- In 2021, 37.9 million people were living with HIV worldwide per UNAIDS estimates
- Nigeria had 1.9 million people living with HIV in 2022, second highest globally
- In 2022, 86% of people living with HIV globally knew their HIV status
- Eastern and Southern Africa had 20.8 million people living with HIV in 2022
- In 2022, 1.04 million people in the US were living with diagnosed HIV
- Globally, key populations including gay men and transgender people represent 8% of people living with HIV but account for higher proportions
- In 2022, 5.5 million people living with HIV were in West and Central Africa
- Russia had over 1 million people living with HIV in 2022
- In 2022, adult prevalence rate was 3.4% in Eswatini, highest globally
- Globally, 38.4 million people aged 15+ were living with HIV in 2021
- In 2022, 670,000 adolescents aged 10-19 were living with HIV globally
- Mozambique had 1.8 million people living with HIV in 2022
- In 2022, prevalence among adults 15-49 was 19.3% in Eswatini
- Globally, 1.4 million people living with HIV were children (0-14 years) in 2022
Prevalence Interpretation
The sobering map of this epidemic reveals a stubbornly unequal world, where geography and gender dramatically skew risk, as two-thirds of all cases reside in sub-Saharan Africa and over half are women and girls.
Prevention
- PrEP initiations reached 3 million globally by 2022
- Condom use at last high-risk sex was 80% among young people in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022
- Globally, 54% reduction in new HIV infections since 2010 peak due to prevention
- Voluntary medical male circumcision averted 3.4 million infections in 15 countries by 2022
- In 2022, 76% of HIV-positive pregnant women received ART to prevent MTCT
- US PrEP users numbered 1.2 million person-years in 2022
- Globally, 50% of adults 15-49 used condoms correctly and consistently in 2022 surveys
- DREAMS program reached 2 million adolescent girls in 2022 for prevention
- Needle-syringe programs provided 12 billion exchanges cumulatively by 2022
- In Eastern/Southern Africa, MTCT rate fell to 8.7% in 2022
- Globally, 400,000 sex workers received HIV prevention in 2022
- Male circumcision coverage reached 60% in 15 priority countries by 2022
- PrEP prevented an estimated 74,000 infections in South Africa alone by 2022
- Globally, 85% of new infant infections prevented via PMTCT since 2010
- Harm reduction for PWID reached 55% of estimated population in 2022
- In US, 36% decline in infections among MSM due to PrEP scale-up 2015-2021
- Condom promotion averted 117 million infections globally 1990-2022
- 310,000 adolescent girls reached by DREAMS in Eswatini, highest coverage 2022
- Globally, sex education programs reduced risky behavior by 30% in youth 2022
- OST for PWID covered 45% globally in 2022, preventing 20,000 infections yearly
- MTCT elimination certified in 7 countries by 2022, with <2% transmission rate
- In 2022, 1.3 million on PrEP globally, up 25% from 2021
- VMMC performed on 30 million men in Africa by 2022
- HIV prevention budget reached $20.8 billion globally in 2022
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) uptake increased 15% in high-burden areas 2022
Prevention Interpretation
The fight against HIV is a masterclass in pragmatism, proving that when we throw everything from condoms and PrEP to education and harm reduction at the problem with serious commitment, the epidemic—much to its own annoyance—actually starts to retreat.
Testing
- Globally, 88% of infants exposed to HIV were tested within 2 months of birth in 2022
- In 2022, 86% of people living with HIV knew their status globally
- Sub-Saharan Africa tested 81% of adults 15-64 at least once in 2022
- In the US, 86% of PLHIV were aware of their status in 2021
- Globally, 96 million people tested for HIV in 2022 via services
- Eastern and Southern Africa achieved 92% knew status in 2022
- In 2022, 68% of pregnant women living with HIV were tested antenatally
- Western and Central Europe/North America had 94% knew status in 2022
- Key populations testing coverage reached 89% in 20 high-burden countries in 2022
- In Latin America, 78% of PLHIV knew their status in 2022
- US HIV testing among sexually active MSM was 68% in past year per 2021 data
- Globally, self-testing kits distributed reached 10 million in 2022
- In South Africa, 95% of PLHIV knew status in 2022
- Asia and Pacific tested 75% of PLHIV for status in 2022
- In 2022, 83% of adults 15+ in Eastern/Southern Africa ever tested for HIV
- Caribbean knew status among 85% of PLHIV in 2022
- Middle East/North Africa had 64% knew status in 2022
- In Nigeria, 92% knew status among PLHIV in 2022
- Globally, 2.5 million people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2022
- Western/Central Africa achieved 81% knew status in 2022
- In US, 1.07 million diagnosed with HIV by end 2021
- 99% of infants born to women on ART test HIV-negative in high-coverage settings
- Eastern Europe/Central Asia knew status 76% in 2022
- Globally, HIV testing services reached 164 million people in 2022
Testing Interpretation
While remarkable progress in global HIV awareness shines through these numbers, the persistent and uneven gaps in testing between regions and key populations expose the dangerous fault lines where the epidemic continues to smolder.
Treatment
- In 2022, 86% of people living with HIV were on antiretroviral therapy globally
- Viral suppression among those on ART reached 72% globally in 2022 (71% adults, 63% children)
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 82% of PLHIV were on treatment in 2022
- Globally, 29.8 million people were accessing ART in 2022, up from 7.8 million in 2010
- In the US, 65% of diagnosed PLHIV had viral suppression in 2021
- Children aged 0-14 had only 63% on ART globally in 2022
- Western and Central Europe/North America achieved 92% on treatment in 2022
- In Latin America, 72% of PLHIV were on ART in 2022
- Globally, treatment coverage increased to 77% for adults 15+ in 2022
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia had 51% treatment coverage in 2022
- In 2022, 75% of women living with HIV were on ART globally
- US saw 94% of diagnosed PLHIV retained in care in 2021
- Asia and Pacific region had 76% on treatment in 2022
- In South Africa, 94% of known PLHIV were on ART in 2022
- Globally, 66% of children living with HIV were on ART in 2022
- Middle East and North Africa treatment coverage at 67% in 2022
- In 2022, 89% of PLHIV on ART in Eastern and Southern Africa had viral suppression
- Caribbean had 82% treatment coverage in 2022
- Globally, first-line ART regimens used by 95% of treated adults in 2022
- In Nigeria, 92% of adults on treatment achieved viral suppression in 2022
- Western and Central Africa reached 79% treatment coverage in 2022
- In the US, 538,000 PLHIV were virally suppressed in 2021
- Globally, ART prevented 4.4 million deaths in 2000-2022
- Retention in care among US PLHIV was 86% at 12 months post-diagnosis in 2021
- In 2022, 76% global viral load suppression among adults on ART
- Key populations had 82% treatment coverage in high-burden countries in 2022
- In 2023, 30.7 million people accessed ART globally by end of year
Treatment Interpretation
This progress in HIV treatment is a testament to global commitment, yet it remains a mosaic of remarkable gains and persistent gaps, where a child's chance of viral suppression still depends far too much on the latitude of their birth.