Global Statistics
In 2007, 33 million people were living with HIV/AIDS globally.
AIDS is the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.
The annual number of new HIV infections declined from 3.0 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2007.
The global prevalence rate (percent of population age 15-49 with HIV) is 0.8%.
Although an estimated 370,000 children under age 15 became infected with HIV in 2007, this number has been declining since 2002 due to expanded services focused on preventing mother-to-child transmission.
Of the 2.0 million children living with HIV in 2007, 90% live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2007, 2.1 million adults and children died from AIDS.
Sub-Saharan Africa has been hardest hit by HIV, accounting for 67% of people living with HIV/AIDS and 72% of all AIDS deaths in 2007 even though only 11-12% of the global population lives in this region. 59% of those with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa are women.
After Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean is the second hardest hit region with an adult prevalence of 1.1%. Outside of Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV has had disproportionate affect on injecting drug users, men who have sex with men and sex workers.
Since 2001, there has been a 130% increase in people living with HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With an estimated 1.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, heterosexual sex and injecting drug use are the primary modes of transmission.
Globally, young people, age 15-24, account for 45% of all new HIV infections.
Globally, women represent half of all people living with HIV/AIDS.
Globally, men who have sex with men (MSM) are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population.
Selected Sources:
UNAIDS. 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. 2008.
amfAR. Special Report: MSM, HIV, and the Road to Universal Access- How Far Have We Come?. 2008
Page last updated: 10/31/2008