HIV & AIDS
An estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV in 2024. New infections (1.3 million) have fallen roughly 60% from their 1996 peak and AIDS-related deaths (630,000) are down 70% since 2004, as antiretroviral therapy now reaches 77% of those living with the virus. Yet eastern and southern Africa still carry over half of the global burden.
Key HIV & AIDS Insights
Treatment Has Transformed Survival
About 30.7 million people were on antiretroviral therapy in 2024 — 77% of all those living with HIV. AIDS-related deaths have fallen 70% from the 2004 peak of 2.1 million. Along the treatment cascade, 87% of people living with HIV knew their status, 77% were on treatment and 73% were virally suppressed, approaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.
New Infections Are Falling — But Too Slowly
New infections fell to 1.3 million in 2024, down from a peak of roughly 3.3 million in 1996 and 2.1 million in 2010. That 39% decline since 2010 is well short of the global target of fewer than 370,000 by 2025. New infections among children dropped 62%, from 310,000 in 2010 to 120,000 in 2024.
Eastern & Southern Africa Bears the Brunt
Around 21 million people in eastern and southern Africa are living with HIV — more than half the world total. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 65% of all cases and 86% of children living with HIV. Women and girls make up 53% of people living with HIV globally, with adolescent girls at sharply higher risk in the worst-affected regions.
Funding Cuts Threaten Hard-Won Gains
Progress is fragile. UNAIDS warns that falling donor funding could stall or reverse the decline in deaths and infections. Roughly 9 million people living with HIV are still not on treatment, and key populations continue to face stigma, criminalisation and gaps in access to testing and prevention.
New HIV Infections vs AIDS-Related Deaths (1990–2024)
Millions per year
Key Finding: New infections peaked near 3.3 million in 1996 and deaths at 2.1 million in 2004. Both have fallen sharply as treatment scaled up — to 630,000 deaths and 1.3 million infections by 2024.
People Living With HIV by Region (2024)
Millions of people
Key Finding: Eastern and southern Africa accounts for about 21 million of the 40.8 million total. Asia and the Pacific (6.9 million) is the second-largest epidemic, ahead of western and central Africa (5.0 million).
The HIV Treatment Cascade (2024)
Share of all people living with HIV
Key Finding: 87% of people living with HIV knew their status, 77% were on antiretroviral therapy and 73% were virally suppressed — closing in on, but still short of, the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.
AIDS-Related Deaths Since the 2004 Peak
Millions per year
Key Finding: Annual deaths have fallen about 70%, from 2.1 million in 2004 to 630,000 in 2024, as antiretroviral coverage expanded. Around 75,000 of the 2024 deaths were children.
New HIV Infections Among Children (0–14)
Thousands per year
Key Finding: Programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission cut new infections in children by 62%, from 310,000 in 2010 to 120,000 in 2024 — though progress has recently plateaued.
Understanding HIV & AIDS Data
How HIV data is collected
UNAIDS publishes annual estimates produced with countries using the Spectrum and EPP modelling tools, drawing on antenatal-clinic surveillance, population-based household surveys and national case reporting. Published figures are point estimates drawn from plausible ranges.
Key definitions
People living with HIV is the prevalent population of all ages. New infections (incidence) counts people who acquired HIV in the year. AIDS-related deaths are deaths from advanced HIV disease. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses the virus; viral suppression means the virus is undetectable and untransmittable. The 95-95-95 targets aim for 95% diagnosed, 95% of those on treatment and 95% of those virally suppressed.
Why uncertainty exists
Surveillance quality varies between countries, so estimates carry ranges that can be wide in low-prevalence, rural or conflict-affected settings. Figures are revised each year as new survey data arrives, so historical numbers may shift between reports.
Caveats
These are modelled estimates rather than exact case counts. Testing gaps and stigma mean a share of people living with HIV remain undiagnosed — about 13% in 2024. Comparisons across regions should account for differing testing coverage.