Suggested citation. UNAIDS DATA 2024. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; 2024. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Related: The 2024 global AIDS report The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads, released 22 July 2024, is available here. 

In 2023, there were an estimated 1.9 million [1.1 million–2.5 million] adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years living with HIV, compared with 1.2 million [840 000–1.6 million] adolescent boys and young men aged 15–24 years. Globally, 44% of all new HIV infections were among women and girls (all ages) in 2023. Between 2000 and 2023, new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women fell by 63% worldwide, and the rate of that decline has accelerated over the past decade. The estimated number of adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years who acquired HIV in 2023 was 210 000 [130 000–280 000]—four times higher than the 2025 target of 50 000. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

UNAIDS data show that in 2023, 39.9 million [36.1 million–44.6 million] people were living with HIV globally, of whom 53% were women and girls. An estimated 30.7 million [27.0 million–31.9 million] people living with HIV were receiving lifesaving treatment, and almost three quarters (72% [65–80%]) (78% [70–87%] of women and 67% [60–75%] of men living with HIV) had a suppressed viral load. Approximately 9.3 million [7.4 million–10.8 million] people living with HIV globally were not receiving antiretroviral therapy. More than half (58%) of the pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who were not on antiretroviral therapy were in western and central Africa, 23% were in eastern and southern Africa, and 10% were in Asia and the Pacific—these women also urgently need to be reached with services for their own health and to reduce the risk of vertical transmission to their children. HIV is now comparable to that of the general population. The proportion of new HIV infections among people aged 50 years and over is anticipated to increase from 28% in 2010 to 73% in 2030. As people living with HIV who are on treatment get older, comorbid health conditions among people living with HIV need to be taken into account for programming. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

Gay men and other men who have sex with men are one of the populations that are disproportionally affected by HIV. In 2022, the relative risk of acquiring HIV was 23 times higher for gay men and other men who have sex with men than in the wider population globally. Trans men who have sex with men may also be at increased risk, although there are few data. Annual numbers of new HIV infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men increased by 11% between 2010 and 2022. Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of new HIV infections among this key population has increased, but it has decreased among the remaining population. Despite the disproportionate burden, coverage of HIV services among gay men and other men who have sex with men in many settings continues to be below the 2025 target, with only 40% of them reporting in median accessing at least two HIV prevention options in the past three months in 2023. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

Sex workers are disproportionally affected by HIV. In 2022, the relative risk of acquiring HIV was nine times higher for sex workers than for people in the wider population globally, declining from 12 times higher in 2010. In sub-Saharan Africa, annual numbers of sex workers with newly acquired HIV dropped by 50% between 2010 and 2022 according to new modelled estimates. Numbers of new infections among sex workers remain the same outside sub-Saharan Africa and are increasing in some countries. Criminalization of any aspect of sex work, other punitive laws, interpersonal and institutional violence, and stigma and discrimination remain significant barriers to achieving social justice and equality for sex workers, and ensuring health for all through access to and uptake of HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. A median of 26% of sex workers have reported experiencing violence in the past 12 months (20 reporting countries). Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

Transgender people are disproportionally affected by HIV. Annual numbers of new HIV infections among transgender women increased by 3% from 2010 to 2022. Transgender women are at increased risk of HIV infection compared with the rest of the adult population. In 2022, the relative risk of acquiring HIV was 20 times higher for transgender women than for people in the wider population globally, a significant increase from the 11 times higher risk in 2010. Median HIV prevention coverage (receiving at least two prevention services) among transgender people is below the 2025 targets of 95% in almost all regions. Recent country reports indicate that coverage of transgender people during the past three months ranged from 28% in eastern and southern Africa (one reporting country) to 100% in Latin America (one reporting country). Criminalization of transgender people, stigma and discrimination, and violence based on gender identity or expression create significant barriers to achieving social justice and equality for transgender people, and to ensuring health for all through access and uptake of HIV services. Structural factors, including transphobia, result in discrimination, which leads to limited work opportunities, reduced access to health-care services, legal barriers, and mental health challenges. These factors also influence behavioural risk factors, including condomless sex, unsafe sex work, and sharing needles for hormone injections or drug use, leading to substantial inequalities in HIV outcomes. Gender-affirming care has been shown to improve antiretroviral therapy adherence, viral load suppression achievement, and HIV prevention in transgender people. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

People who inject drugs are disproportionally affected by HIV. People who inject drugs who are living with or at risk of HIV include men, women, people in prisons, and people from other key populations, such as sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, and transgender people. In 2022, the relative risk of acquiring HIV was 14 times higher for people who inject drugs than for people in the overall adult population. Since 2019, only two of 26 reporting countries (Malaysia, Seychelles) have reported achieving the 2025 target of 50% use of opioid agonist maintenance therapy among people who inject drugs. Since 2019, among the 35 countries that reported the number of needles and syringes distributed per person who injects drugs per year by needle–syringe programmes, only three countries reported achieving the recommended more than 200 needles and syringes distributed per person who injects drugs per year. In the same period, only 11 of the 27 reporting countries achieved the 90% target on coverage of safe injecting practices. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report

People in prisons and other closed settings are disproportionally affected by HIV. In 2023, HIV prevalence among people in these settings was two times higher than among adults aged 15–49 years in the general population. Lack of access to HIV treatment and prevention services in prisons and other closed settings remains a significant barrier to achieving social justice and equality and ensuring health for all people. Treatment coverage gaps are notable for people living with HIV in prisons and other closed settings. Among the 37 countries that reported on antiretroviral therapy coverage among people in prisons and other closed settings in recent years, only 18 countries reported above 95% coverage, and five countries reported less than 50%. HIV programmes are generally not available or tailored for women in prisons and other closed settings. A small but slowly increasing number of countries provide at least some HIV-related services in prisons and other closed settings. Related links: New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now | Full report