U.S. Statistics

Fast Facts

• More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV today, and 1 in 7 of them don’t know it.
• An estimated 38,500 Americans became newly infected with HIV in 2015.
• Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men bear the greatest burden by risk group, representing an estimated 26,200 of these new HIV infections.
• From 2010 to 2015, the estimated number of annual HIV infections in the U.S. declined 8%.
•  In 2016, 39,782 people were diagnosed with HIV in the U.S.
• HIV diagnoses are not evenly distributed across states and regions. People in southern states accounted for more than half of new HIV diagnoses in 2016, while making up 38% of the nation’s population.

Estimated New HIV Infections^a

According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 38,500 people became newly infected with HIV in the United States in 2015. Encouragingly, the estimated number of annual HIV infections in the U.S. declined 8% between 2010-2015 (from 41,800 to 38,500).

• By age group, between 2010-2015, the annual number of HIV infections decreased among persons aged 13–24, 35–44, and 45–54 but increased among persons aged 25–34. The number of infections remained stable among persons aged ≥55 years.
• By race/ethnicity, between 2010-2015, the annual number of HIV infections decreased among blacks/African Americans and remained stabled for Asians, Hispanics/Latinos, and whites.
• By sex, between 2010-2015, the annual number of new HIV infections decreased among females but remained stable among males.
• By HIV transmission category, between 2010-2015, the annual number of HIV infections decreased among male and female adults and adolescents with infection attributed to heterosexual contact. The annual number of infections remained stable among males with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, among males with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, and among males and females with infection attributed to injection drug use.

HIV Diagnoses^b

In 2016, 39,782 people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States. The annual number of new HIV diagnoses fell 5% from 2011 to 2015. Because HIV testing has remained stable or increased in recent years, this decrease in diagnoses suggests a true decline in new infections. The decrease may be due to targeted HIV prevention efforts. However, progress has been uneven, and diagnoses have increased among a few groups.

From 2011 to 2015, HIV diagnoses:

Gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV. In 2016^c:

• Gay and bisexual men accounted for 67% (26,570) of all diagnoses and 83% of HIV diagnoses among males.
• Black/African American^d gay and bisexual men accounted for the largest number of HIV diagnoses (10,223), followed by Hispanic/Latino (7,425) and white (7,390) gay and bisexual men.

Among all gay and bisexual men, trends have varied by race and over time. From 2011 to 2015:

• Among white gay and bisexual men, diagnoses decreased 10%.
• Among Hispanic/Latino^e gay and bisexual men, diagnoses increased 14%.
• Among African American gay and bisexual men, diagnoses increased 4%.
• After years of sharp increases, diagnoses among young African American gay and bisexual men (aged 13-24) stayed about the same.

Heterosexuals and people who inject drugs also continue to be affected by HIV. In 2016:

• Heterosexual contact accounted for 24% (9,578) of HIV diagnoses.
• Women accounted for 19% (7,529) of HIV diagnoses. Diagnoses among women are primarily attributed to heterosexual contact (87%, or 6,541) or injection drug use (12%, or 939).
• People who inject drugs accounted for 9% (3,425) of HIV diagnoses (includes 1,201 diagnoses among gay and bisexual men who inject drugs).

From 2011 to 2015:

• Diagnoses among all women declined 16%.
• Among all heterosexuals, diagnoses declined 15%, and among people who inject drugs, diagnoses declined 17%.

African Americans continue to experience the greatest burden of HIV compared to other races and ethnicities. Hispanics/Latinos are also disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2016:

• African Americans represented 12% of the U.S. population, but accounted for 44% (17,528) of HIV diagnoses. African Americans have the highest rate of HIV diagnoses compared to other races and ethnicities.
• Hispanics/Latinos represented about 18% of the U.S. population, but accounted for 25% (9,766) of HIV diagnoses.

New HIV Diagnoses in the United States for the Most-Affected Subpopulations, 2016

New HIV diagnoses also vary substantially by age:

New HIV Diagnoses in the United States by age, 2016

The burden of HIV and AIDS is not evenly distributed geographically. In 2016, the population rates (per 100,000 people) of persons who received an HIV diagnosis were highest in the South (16.8), followed by the Northeast (11.2), the West (10.2), and the Midwest (7.5).^f The South generally is behind other regions in some key HIV prevention and care indicators.

Living With HIV

• An estimated 1,122,900 adults and adolescents were living with HIV in the U.S. at the end of 2015.
• Of those, 162,500 (15% or 1 in 7) had not received a diagnosis, so were unaware of their infection.
• Young people are the most likely to be unaware of their infection. In 2015, among people aged 13-24 who were living with HIV, an estimated 51% didn’t know.
• In 2015, among all adults and adolescents living with HIV (diagnosed or undiagnosed),
  • 63% received some HIV medical care,
  • 49% were retained in continuous HIV care, and
  • 51% had achieved viral suppression (having a very low level of the virus).h

A person living with HIV who takes HIV medicine as prescribed and gets and stays virally suppressed can stay healthy and has effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to HIV-negative partners.

AIDS Diagnoses and Deaths

In 2016, 18,160 people received an AIDS diagnosis. Since the epidemic began in the early 1980s, 1,232,246 people have received an AIDS diagnosis.

In 2014, there were 12,333 deaths (due to any cause) of people with diagnosed HIV infection ever classified as AIDS, and 6,721 deaths were attributed directly to HIV.

Read more about the U.S. Government's domestic HIV/AIDS activities.

Notes

^aNew HIV infections are the estimated number of people who get HIV during a year, which is different from the number of people diagnosed with HIV during a year. (Some people may have HIV but may not know it.)

^b HIV diagnoses refers to the estimated number of people who are diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of their stage of disease at diagnosis.

^c These numbers include only diagnoses attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, not those attributed to injection drug use and male-to-male sexual contact.

^d Referred to as African American in this fact sheet.

^e Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

^f This fact sheet uses the regions defined by the US Census Bureau and used in CDC’s National HIV Surveillance System:

Northeast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI

South: AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY.

Bibliography

CDC. Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by using HIV surveillance data—United States and 6 dependent areas, 2016. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2018;23(4).

CDC. Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States, 2010–2015. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2018;23(1).

CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2016. HIV Surveillance Report 2017;28.

CDC. Deaths: Final Data for 2014. National Vital Statistics Reports 2016;65(4). Accessed November 21, 2016.