Number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa
South Africa: Number of new hiv infections per year was 166,536 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa stood at 166,536.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa peaked at 540,760 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 124,330, in 1990.
That places South Africa 1st out of 144 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 124,330 | — |
| 1991 | 179,101 | +44.1% |
| 1992 | 244,992 | +36.8% |
| 1993 | 315,990 | +29.0% |
| 1994 | 384,050 | +21.5% |
| 1995 | 442,128 | +15.1% |
| 1996 | 489,652 | +10.7% |
| 1997 | 522,050 | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 536,869 | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 540,760 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 534,033 | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 517,757 | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 499,886 | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 485,021 | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 473,551 | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 455,877 | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 439,090 | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 418,529 | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 398,231 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 374,575 | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 351,128 | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 330,069 | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 314,294 | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 299,320 | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 283,387 | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 273,189 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 256,249 | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 235,320 | -8.2% |
| 2018 | 222,178 | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 208,179 | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 197,228 | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 189,479 | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 181,052 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 172,334 | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 166,536 | -3.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 166,536 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,131, 147.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 166,536 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4,273, 39.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of new hiv infections per year 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +44.1% | 124,330 | 179,101 |
| 1992 | +36.8% | 179,101 | 244,992 |
| 1993 | +29.0% | 244,992 | 315,990 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 377,992 | 124,330 | 540,760 | 10 |
| 2000s | 459,655 | 374,575 | 534,033 | 10 |
| 2010s | 277,331 | 208,179 | 351,128 | 10 |
| 2020s | 181,326 | 166,536 | 197,228 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa?
- Number of new hiv infections per year in South Africa was 166,536 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of new hiv infections per year recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 540,760 in 1999.
- What is the lowest number of new hiv infections per year recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 124,330 in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for number of new hiv infections per year?
- South Africa ranks 1st out of 144 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of new hiv infections per year rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.2%. 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 Number of new hiv infections per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).