Nigeria vs South Africa: Estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV
Nigeria
2.00 million
in 2025
South Africa
7.60 million
in 2025
Nigeria rank
3rd
South Africa rank
1st
Estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 7.60 million against 2.00 million in Nigeria, a difference of 5.60 million.
That makes South Africa's figure about 3.8 times Nigeria's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 1st of 143 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.59 million | 4.38 million | 2.79 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.87 million | 6.36 million | 4.49 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.00 million | 7.40 million | 5.40 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher estimated number of people (all ages) living with hiv, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 7.60 million against 2.00 million in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in estimated number of people (all ages) living with hiv between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 5.60 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for estimated number of people (all ages) living with hiv?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 1st of 143 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as Estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.