Adults (ages 15+) living with HIV in South Africa
South Africa: Adults (ages 15+) living with HIV was 7.70 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adults (ages 15+) living with HIV in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: UNAIDS estimates.
Analysis
In 2024, adults (ages 15+) living with hiv in South Africa stood at 7.70 million. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 24.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adults (ages 15+) living with hiv in South Africa peaked at 7.70 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 270,000, in 1990.
That places South Africa 1st out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Adults (ages 15+) living with HIV in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 270,000 | — |
| 1991 | 430,000 | +59.3% |
| 1992 | 640,000 | +48.8% |
| 1993 | 920,000 | +43.8% |
| 1994 | 1.30 million | +41.3% |
| 1995 | 1.60 million | +23.1% |
| 1996 | 2.00 million | +25.0% |
| 1997 | 2.40 million | +20.0% |
| 1998 | 2.80 million | +16.7% |
| 1999 | 3.10 million | +10.7% |
| 2000 | 3.40 million | +9.7% |
| 2001 | 3.70 million | +8.8% |
| 2002 | 3.90 million | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 4.10 million | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 4.30 million | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 4.40 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 4.60 million | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 4.70 million | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 4.90 million | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 5.10 million | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 5.30 million | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 5.50 million | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 5.70 million | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 5.90 million | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 6.20 million | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 6.40 million | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 6.60 million | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 6.70 million | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 6.90 million | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 7.10 million | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 7.20 million | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 7.30 million | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 7.50 million | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 7.60 million | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 7.70 million | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.55 million | 270,000 | 3.10 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.31 million | 3.40 million | 5.10 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.23 million | 5.30 million | 7.10 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.46 million | 7.20 million | 7.70 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 2 Mozambique 2.30 million compare
- 3 Nigeria 1.80 million compare
- 4 Tanzania, United Republic of 1.70 million compare
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0221 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 0.8639 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0217 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adults (ages 15+) living with hiv in South Africa?
- Adults (ages 15+) living with hiv in South Africa was 7.70 million in 2024, according to UNAIDS estimates.
- What is the highest adults (ages 15+) living with hiv recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.70 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adults (ages 15+) living with hiv recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 270,000 in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for adults (ages 15+) living with hiv?
- South Africa ranks 1st out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adults (ages 15+) living with hiv rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNAIDS estimates, published as part of Adults (ages 15+) living with HIV. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Adults living with HIV refers to the number of people ages 15-49 who are infected with HIV.