Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa

South Africa: Incidence of hiv by age was 5.25 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.25
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
2nd
of 144 countries
All-time high
23.1
in 1998
All-time low
5.25
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa, 1990–2024

5101520251990200720241990: 6.51991: 9.21992: 12.21993: 15.31994: 18.11995: 20.31996: 21.91997: 22.91998: 23.11999: 22.72000: 21.92001: 20.72002: 19.52003: 18.42004: 17.52005: 16.72006: 16.12007: 15.42008: 14.82009: 14.22010: 13.52011: 12.72012: 122013: 11.32014: 10.62015: 10.12016: 9.32017: 8.42018: 7.82019: 7.22020: 6.72021: 6.32022: 5.92023: 5.52024: 5.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, incidence of hiv by age in South Africa stood at 5.25. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 50.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, incidence of hiv by age in South Africa peaked at 23.1 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.25, in 2024.

South Africa ranks 2nd of 144 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa, 1990 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1990 6.54 —
1991 9.2 +40.7%
1992 12.23 +33.0%
1993 15.32 +25.2%
1994 18.12 +18.3%
1995 20.32 +12.2%
1996 21.92 +7.9%
1997 22.91 +4.5%
1998 23.1 +0.8%
1999 22.69 -1.8%
2000 21.88 -3.5%
2001 20.68 -5.5%
2002 19.47 -5.8%
2003 18.38 -5.6%
2004 17.5 -4.8%
2005 16.71 -4.5%
2006 16.12 -3.5%
2007 15.4 -4.5%
2008 14.8 -3.8%
2009 14.21 -4.0%
2010 13.52 -4.9%
2011 12.72 -5.9%
2012 12.01 -5.6%
2013 11.32 -5.7%
2014 10.63 -6.1%
2015 10.13 -4.7%
2016 9.34 -7.8%
2017 8.44 -9.6%
2018 7.84 -7.1%
2019 7.24 -7.7%
2020 6.74 -7.0%
2021 6.34 -5.9%
2022 5.94 -6.3%
2023 5.54 -6.7%
2024 5.25 -5.4%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5.25 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2565, 20.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 5.25 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5758, 9.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1991 +40.7% 6.54 9.2
1992 +33.0% 9.2 12.23
1993 +25.2% 12.23 15.32

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.23 6.54 23.1 10
2000s 17.52 14.21 21.88 10
2010s 10.32 7.24 13.52 10
2020s 5.96 5.25 6.74 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Eswatini 7.49 compare
  2. 3 Mozambique 4.91 compare
  3. 4 Lesotho 3.09 compare
  4. 5 Botswana 3.06 compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is incidence of hiv by age in South Africa?
Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa was 5.25 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest incidence of hiv by age recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 23.1 in 1998.
What is the lowest incidence of hiv by age recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.25 in 2024.
How does South Africa rank for incidence of hiv by age?
South Africa ranks 2nd out of 144 countries with data for 2024.
Is incidence of hiv by age rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 50.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Incidence of hiv by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Incidence of hiv by age in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/incidence-of-hiv-by-age/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Incidence of hiv by age
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
144 places, 4,983 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed