UNAIDS has published statistics on the global incidence of human immunodeficiency virus, as well as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which occurs at stages 3-4 of infection. In 2023, there were 39.9 million people living with HIV worldwide. Of these, 38.6 million were adults (>15 years) and 1.4 million were children (<15 years). In addition, 53% of them are women and girls. About 84% of people living with HIV worldwide have been tested and know their HIV status.
1.3 million people worldwide were newly infected with HIV in 2023. This is 39% less than in 2010 and 60% less than in 1995, when the peak of HIV infection was recorded. Women and girls accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections in 2023.
In 2023, approximately 86% of people living with HIV globally knew their HIV status. About 5.4 million people did not know their HIV status and still needed access to HIV testing services. HIV testing is an important tool for accessing HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. The global target for HIV status awareness is 95% by 2025.
By the end of 2023, 77% of all people living with HIV (30.7 million people) had access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). People with HIV who know their status, take ART as prescribed, achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, can live long and healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sexual contact. This is sometimes called “undetectable = non-transmissible” or U=U. The 2025 end of the epidemic targets include 95% of all people diagnosed with HIV starting treatment and 95% of people on treatment achieving and maintaining viral suppression. 72% had viral suppression.
In 2023, 84% of pregnant women with HIV globally had access to ART to prevent HIV transmission to their babies during pregnancy and childbirth and to protect their health.
AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 69% compared to the peak in 2004. In 2023, about 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses worldwide, compared to 2.1 million in 2004 and 1.3 million in 2010.
Certain regions of the world are disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2023, there were 20.8 million people living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa, 5.1 million in Western and Central Africa, 6.7 million in Asia and the Pacific, and 2.3 million in Western and Central Europe and North America.
Despite advances in the scientific understanding of HIV, its prevention and treatment, and years of significant efforts by the global health community and leading governmental and non-governmental organizations, too many people living with or at risk of HIV still lack access to prevention, care and treatment, and there is still no cure for the disease. In addition, the HIV epidemic affects not only the health of individuals, but also households, communities, and the development and economic growth of countries. Many of the countries most affected by HIV also suffer from other infectious diseases, food shortages and other serious problems.
Despite these challenges, there have been some successes and encouraging signs. New global efforts have been made to combat the epidemic, especially in the last decade. Over the years, the number of people newly infected with HIV has declined. In addition, the number of people with HIV receiving treatment in resource-limited countries has increased dramatically over the past decade, and significant progress has been made in preventing perinatal HIV transmission and keeping pregnant women alive.
However, despite the expansion of the range of effective HIV prevention tools and methods and the significant scale-up of HIV treatment in recent years, UNAIDS warns that progress in reducing new HIV infections, expanding access to treatment and preventing AIDS-related deaths has been uneven, and many vulnerable people and populations are being left behind. In addition, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, along with other forms of social inequality and exclusion, continue to be key barriers, and the global HIV/AIDS response could be jeopardized without sustained commitment and strong partnerships.