Orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa
Africa: Orphans 0-17 years currently living was 17.21 million high estimate in 2009. ◆ Volatile
Orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa, 1990–2009
Source: UNAIDS and the WHO's Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. Measured in high estimate.
Analysis
The most recent figure for orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa is 17.21 million high estimate, measured in 2009. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 83.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa peaked at 17.21 million high estimate in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.57 million high estimate, in 1990.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa, year by year
| Year | high estimate | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.57 million high estimate | — |
| 1991 | 2.93 million high estimate | +14.1% |
| 1992 | 3.41 million high estimate | +16.5% |
| 1993 | 3.88 million high estimate | +13.6% |
| 1994 | 4.56 million high estimate | +17.5% |
| 1995 | 5.36 million high estimate | +17.6% |
| 1996 | 6.19 million high estimate | +15.4% |
| 1997 | 7.18 million high estimate | +16.0% |
| 1998 | 8.18 million high estimate | +13.9% |
| 1999 | 9.38 million high estimate | +14.7% |
| 2000 | 10.46 million high estimate | +11.5% |
| 2001 | 11.51 million high estimate | +10.1% |
| 2002 | 12.74 million high estimate | +10.7% |
| 2003 | 13.75 million high estimate | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 14.76 million high estimate | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 15.52 million high estimate | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 16.13 million high estimate | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 16.69 million high estimate | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 16.98 million high estimate | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 17.21 million high estimate | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.36 million high estimate | 2.57 million high estimate | 9.38 million high estimate | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.57 million high estimate | 10.46 million high estimate | 17.21 million high estimate | 10 |
Countries ranked near Africa
More health data for Africa
- Deaths 10,119 (2024)
- Fraction 0.0479 (2024)
- Tuberculosis incidence 181 (2024)
- Total official development assistance to medical research and basic 5,948 (2024)
- Maternal mortality ratio 409.79 (2023)
- Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel 75.8% (2025)
- Malaria incidence per 1,000 population at risk 202.19 (2024)
- Total official development assistance to medical research and basic 5,713 (2024)
- Population 0-24 60.8% (2011)
- Tuberculosis prevalence rate 262.01 per 1000,000 population, WHO (2011)
Frequently asked questions
- What is orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa?
- Orphans 0-17 years currently living in Africa was 17.21 million high estimate in 2009, according to UNAIDS and the WHO's Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic.
- What is the highest orphans 0-17 years currently living recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.21 million high estimate in 2009.
- What is the lowest orphans 0-17 years currently living recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.57 million high estimate in 1990.
- How does Africa rank for orphans 0-17 years currently living?
- Africa ranks 1st out of 5 groups with data for 2009.
- Is orphans 0-17 years currently living rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 83.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNAIDS and the WHO's Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, published as part of Orphans 0-17 years currently living (high estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
AIDS orphans are the estimated number of children who have lost their mother or both parents to AIDS before age 17 since the epidemic began in 1990. Some of the orphaned children included in this cumulative total are no longer alive; others are no longer under age 17.