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Worldwide HIV & AIDS Statistics Commentary

back to top Number of people living with HIV

According to 2011 estimates from UNAIDS, WHO and UNICEF around 30.6 million adults and 3.4 million children were living with HIV at the end of 2010.

back to top Number of people infected during 2010, and the number of deaths

During 2010, some 2.7 million people became infected with HIV, including an estimated 390,000 children. Most of these children are babies born to women with HIV, who acquire the virus during pregnancy, labour or delivery, or through breast milk. Drugs are available to minimise the dangers of mother-to-child HIV transmission, but these are still often not reaching the places where they are most needed.

The year also saw 1.8 million deaths from AIDS-related causes. The number of deaths peaked around 2005, and due to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy, it is estimated that 2.5 million AIDS-related deaths have been prevented since 1995 in low- and middle- income countries. By the end of 2009, the epidemic had left behind 16.6 million AIDS orphans, defined as those aged under 18 who have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

Around half of people who acquire HIV become infected before they turn 25, and AIDS is the second most common cause of death among 20-24 year olds.1

back to top HIV and AIDS around the world

Pie chart positive HIV test reports by exposure category

The overwhelming majority of people with HIV live in low- and middle-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of all infected people. South and South-East Asia has the second highest number of people living with HIV.

back to top Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the region most-affected by the AIDS epidemic. The region has just over 12% of the world's population, but is home to 68% of all people living with HIV. An estimated 1.9 million adults and children became infected with HIV during 2010 - contributing to a total of 22.9 million people living with HIV in the region. Adult HIV prevalence varies considerably across sub-Saharan Africa - from 0.2% in Madagascar to almost 26% in Swaziland.

An estimated 1.2 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2010. Antiretroviral therapy has had a significant impact on the number of deaths from AIDS; the scale-up of treatment contributed to a 29% decline in AIDS-related deaths between 2005 and 2010. The scale-up of PMTCT programmes has also contributed to a decline in the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths among children.

Women are particularly affected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa; an estimated 59% of people living with HIV in the region are women.

back to top Asia

Until recently it was thought that India was home to around 5.7 million people living with HIV - more than any other country in the world. In July 2007 this estimate was revised to between 2 million and 3.1 million, based on better data and the results of a national household survey.

Because of the major revision of the Indian estimate, the number of people living with HIV in Asia is now thought to be substantially less than the figure published by UNAIDS in late 2006. The current estimate is around 4.8 million.

National adult prevalence is still under 1% in the majority of this region's countries. However some Asian countries are very large and national averages may obscure serious epidemics in some smaller provinces and states. Although national adult HIV prevalence in India, for example, is below 1%, some states have an estimated prevalence well above this level. Other countries with large numbers of people living with HIV include China (740,000), Thailand (530,000) and Viet Nam (280,000).

back to top Caribbean

Around 12,000 people were newly infected with HIV in the Caribbean during 2010 - 7,000 less than in 2001. The number of new infections has been declining slightly, but the total number of people living with HIV in the region has remained relatively stable. By the end of 2010 200,000 people were living with HIV - an adult prevalence of 0.9%.

back to top Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The AIDS epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is rapidly expanding. Some 160,000 people were infected with HIV in 2010, bringing the total number of people living with the virus to around 1.5 million. In 2010 an estimated 90,000 people died from AIDS-related illness, more than eleven times the number in 2001.

Worst affected countries are the Russian Federation and Ukraine, but HIV continues to spread in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is now estimated that around 980,000 people are living with HIV in the Russian Federation.

back to top North Africa and the Middle East

The notion that this region has been largely unaffected by the global epidemic is not supported by the latest estimates, which indicate that 59,000 people acquired HIV in 2010, bringing the total number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa to an estimated 470,000. In 2010 an estimated 35,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, an increase from 22,000 in 2001.

Although reliable data are difficult to obtain, it appears North Africa and the Middle East are the only regions which have seen significant increases in the number of adults and children living with HIV, number of people newly infected with HIV and deaths due to AIDS-related illnesses.

back to top Central and South America

An estimated 1.5 million people were living with HIV in Central and South America at the end of 2010. Reports show that the number of annual new HIV infections decreased by around 7,000 infections between 2001 and 2009. Despite this decline, 2010 saw an increase in new HIV infections among adults and children, with a total of 100,000 new HIV infections. Around 67,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2010 in the region, 16,000 less than in 2001.

Adult HIV prevalence in most countries is below 1% with a regional adult HIV prevalence of 0.4%. Find out more about HIV in the Americas.

back to top North America, Oceania and Western and Central Europe

The total number of people living with HIV continues to rise in higher-income countries, largely due to widespread access to antiretroviral therapy, which prolongs the lives of those living with HIV. It is estimated that 2.14 million people are living with HIV in North America and Western and Central Europe, an increase from 1.6 million in 2001. In these two regions, a total of 29,900 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2010. The number of people living with HIV in Oceania increased from 41,000 in 2001 to 54,000 in 2010.

In recent years there has been a significant increase in new infections among men who have sex with men in higher-income countries. In both North America and Western and Central Europe women account for a quarter of all people living with HIV.

Nominet Winner 2012