U.S. Statistics

Content From: HIV.govUpdated: December 7, 202311 min read

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Fast Facts

The information on this page refers to individuals ages 13 and older unless otherwise noted.

  • Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S.a have HIV. About 13 percent of them don’t know it and need testing.
  • HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on certain populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).b
  • In 2021, an estimated 32,100 new HIV infections occurred in the U.S.*
  • Estimated new HIV infections declined 12% from 36,500 in 2017 to 32,100 in 2021.
  • In 2021, 36,136 individuals received an HIV diagnosis in the U.S. and 6 dependent areas.
  • HIV diagnoses are not evenly distributed across states and regions. The highest rates of new diagnoses continue to occur in the South.

New HIV Infections (HIV Incidence)

HIV incidence refers to the estimated number of new HIV infections during a specified period (such as a year), which is different from the number of people diagnosed with HIV during a given year. Some people may have HIV for some time but not know it, so the year they are diagnosed may not be the same as the year they acquired HIV.

According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 32,100 new HIV infections occurred in the United Statesc in 2021. Annual infections in the U.S. have been reduced by more than two-thirds since the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s. Further, CDC estimates of annual HIV infections in the United States show hopeful signs of progress in recent years.

CDC estimates show new HIV infections declined 12% from 2017 to 2021. The decline was driven by a 34% decrease in new infections among 13- to 24-year-olds, mostly among MSM in this age group. CDC reports that among young MSM, HIV infections fell from an estimated 7,400 new HIV infections in 2017 to about 4,900 in 2021.

This image shows the number of estimated new HIV infections in the US and major transmission categories.

Key Points: HIV Incidence

In 2021, there were 32,100 estimated new HIV infections in the U.S. and the rate was 11.5 (per 100,000 people). Estimated new HIV infections declined 12% from 2017 to 2021.

MSM accounted for 70% (22,400) of the 32,100 estimated new HIV infections in 2021 and 86% of estimated infections among all males.d In 2021, as compared to 2017, the annual number of HIV infections among MSM decreased 13.5% overall.

People who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact accounted for 22% (7,100) of the 32,100 estimated new HIV infections in 2021. Men reporting heterosexual contact accounted for 6% (2,000) of estimated new HIV infections, while women reporting heterosexual contact accounted for 16% (5,100) of estimated new HIV infections. In 2021, as compared to 2017, the annual number of HIV infections among people who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact decreased 12%.

People who inject drugs accounted for 8% (2,500) of the 32,100 estimated new HIV infections in 2021. Men who inject drugs accounted for 4% (1,400) of estimated new HIV infections, while women who inject drugs accounted for 3% (1,100) of estimated new HIV infections. In 2021, as compared to 2017, the annual number of HIV infections among people who inject drugs increased 4%.

By age group, people aged 13 to 34 accounted for 58% (18,700) of the estimated 32,100 new HIV infections in 2021. In 2021, as compared with 2017, the annual number of HIV infections among persons aged 13 to 34 decreased 18%. According to CDC, no change was detected in persons aged 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, and ≥55 years.

By race/ethnicity, in 2021, according to CDC, Black/African American persons made up approximately 12% of the population of the United States but accounted for 40% (13,000) of the estimated 32,100 new HIV infections. White persons made up 61% of the population of the United States but accounted for 26% (8,200) of new HIV infections, and Hispanic/Latino persons made up 18% of the population of the United States but accounted for 29% (9,300) of HIV infections. By rate, the highest rates of new HIV infections in 2021 were among Black/African American persons (37.3), Hispanic/Latino persons (18.9), and persons of multiple races (17.0).

By sex at birth, in 2021, people assigned male at birth accounted for 81% (25,900) of the estimated 32,100 new HIV infections, while people assigned female at birth accounted for 24% (6,200) of new HIV infections. According to CDC, the annual number of new HIV infections in 2021, as compared to 2017, decreased among people assigned male at birth but remained stable among people assigned female at birth. In 2021, the rate for people assigned male at birth (18.8) was 4 times the rate for people assigned female at birth (4.4).

By HIV transmission category, the annual number of HIV infections in 2021, compared with 2017, decreased among males with transmission attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, but remained stable among all other transmission categories (injection drug use; male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use; and heterosexual contact). According to CDC, in 2021, among males, most HIV infections were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact (81%). Among females, most HIV infectious were attributed to heterosexual contact (82%).

By region, in 2021, the South accounted for more than half (52%) of the 32,100 estimated new HIV infections.

Map of estimated HIV infections in the US by region in 2021

HIV Diagnoses

HIV diagnoses refers to the number of people who have received an HIV diagnosis during a year, regardless of when they acquired HIV. (Some people can live with HIV for years before they are diagnosed; others are diagnosed soon after acquiring HIV.)

According to the latest CDC data, in 2021, 36,136 people aged 13 and older received an HIV diagnosis in the U.S. and 6 dependent areas.g HIV diagnoses declined 7% from 2017 to 2021.

However, 2021 diagnoses represent an 18% increase from the previous year, likely due to the identification and reporting of HIV diagnoses missed in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to HIV testing, care-related services, and case surveillance activities in state and local jurisdictions. HIV diagnosis trends varied for different groups of people.

Key Points: HIV Diagnoses

MSM were the population most affected by HIV in the U.S. in 2021.

  • In 2021, MSM accounted for 71% (25,482) of new HIV diagnoses in the United States and 6 dependent areas.h
  • In 2021, Black/African American MSM accounted for 25% (9,127) of the 36,136 new HIV diagnoses and 36% of diagnoses among all MSM.
  • In 2021, Hispanic/Latino MSM accounted for 23% (8,327) of the 36,136 new HIV diagnoses and 33% of diagnoses among all MSM.
  • From 2017 to 2021, HIV diagnoses decreased 6% among MSM overall. But trends varied for different racial/ethnic groups of MSM.

Women (people assigned female sex at birth) accounted for 18% (6,666) of the 36,136 new HIV diagnoses in 2021.

  • Black/African American females accounted for 54% of new HIV diagnoses among people assigned female sex at birth.
  • White females aged ≥ 13 years accounted for 23% of diagnoses among people assigned female sex at birth.
  • Hispanic/Latino females aged ≥ 13 years accounted for 18% of diagnoses among people assigned female sex at birth.

Transgender people accounted for 2% (868) of the 36,136 new HIV diagnoses in 2021.

  • Transgender womeni accounted for 2% of new diagnoses.
  • Transgender menj accounted for less than 1% of new diagnoses.
  • Among transgender people diagnosed in 2021, racial/ethnic disparities exist. Among the 868 transgender people newly diagnosed, 45% (392) were Black/African American and 31% (272) were Hispanic/Latino.

People who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact made up 22% (8,059) of the 36,136 HIV diagnoses in the U.S. in 2021.

  • People assigned male sex at birth who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact accounted for 7% (2,523) of new HIV diagnoses.
  • People assigned female sex at birth who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact accounted for 15% (5,536) of new HIV diagnoses.

People who inject drugs accounted for 7% (2,512) of the 36,136 HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2021.

  • Men who inject drugs accounted for 4% (1,436) of new HIV diagnoses.
  • Women who inject drugs accounted for 3% (1,076) of new HIV diagnoses.

By race/ethnicity, Black/African American people and Hispanic/Latino people continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. According to CDC:

  • In 2021, Black/African American people accounted for 40% (14,528) of the 36,136 new HIV diagnoses among persons aged 13 and older, but according to Census.gov, the Black or African American alone population (all ages) accounted for approximately 14% of the U.S. population.
  • Between 2017 and 2021, diagnoses among Black/African American people ages 13 and older decreased 10%.
  • In 2021, Hispanic/Latino people accounted for 29% of new HIV diagnoses (10,467), but according to Census.gov, Hispanic/Latinos (all ages) accounted for approximately 19% of the U.S. population.
  • Between 2017 and 2021, diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people remained stable.

By age group, in 2021 people aged 13 to 34 accounted for more than half (56%) of the 36,136 new diagnoses. People aged 25 to 34 represented 37% (13,204) of those newly diagnosed.

By region of residence,k HIV diagnoses are not evenly distributed regionally. In 2021, among all persons newly diagnosed with HIVl, 52% (18,728) lived in the South; 20% (7,224) lived in the West; 14% (4,993) lived in the Northeast; 13% (4,824) lived in the Midwest; and 1% (420) lived in U.S. dependent areas.

Most diagnoses are now highly concentrated in certain geographic areas. The Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative is focused on 48 counties; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington, DC, where >50% of HIV diagnoses occurred in 2016 and 2017, along with seven states with a disproportionate occurrence of HIV in rural areas. View these priority jurisdictions.

People Living with HIV

At year-end 2021, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States aged 13 and older had HIV in the U.S., the most recent year for which this information is available.

According to the latest CDC data:

  • About 13% (153,500) of people with HIV in the U.S. don’t know it and so need testing. Early HIV diagnosis is crucial. Everyone aged 13-64 should be tested at least once. People at higher risk of acquiring (or exposure to) HIV should be tested at least annually. Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent testing (e.g., every 3-6 months).
  • According to another CDC report, for every 100 people with diagnosed HIV in 2021m, about 75% received some HIV care, 54% were retained in care, and 66% were virally suppressed. Having a suppressed or undetectable viral load protects the health of a person living with HIV, preventing disease progression. There is also a major prevention benefit. People with HIV who take HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load can live long and healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex. This is often referred to as undetectable = untransmittable or U=U.

Deaths

In 2021, there were 19,986 deaths among adults and adolescents with diagnosed HIV in the United States and 6 dependent areas. These deaths may be due to any cause, including COVID-19.

Need More?

For information about how HIV affects your state or county, visit America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD), an interactive dashboard that lets you examine Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. indicator data for all 50 states with a focus on 57 priority areas. Tracking this data at the community level serves to highlight our progress as a nation.

To learn about the United States’ response to the HIV epidemic, view the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Strategy provides stakeholders across the nation with a roadmap to accelerate efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. The Strategy reflects President Biden’s commitment to re-energize and strengthen a whole-of-society response to the epidemic while supporting people with HIV and reducing HIV-associated morbidity and mortality.

* CDC notes that HIV estimates for 2020 and 2021 should be interpreted with caution due to adjustments made to CDC’s CD4-based depletion model to account for the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing and diagnosis in the United States.

Notes

a The term United States (U.S.) here refers to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

b The term male-to-male sexual contact is used in CDC surveillance systems. It indicates a behavior that transmits HIV infection, not how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality. This web content uses the term gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (MSM).

c In the HIV Incidence section of this page, the term United States (U.S.) refers to the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

d This includes HIV infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use (men who reported both risk factors).

e The term Black/African American is used in CDC surveillance systems. Black refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African American is a term often used for people of African descent with ancestry in North America.

f Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

g In the HIV Diagnosis section of this page, the term United States (U.S.) refers to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 6 dependent areas of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

h This includes HIV infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use (men who reported both risk factors)

i The term transgender woman is used in CDC surveillance systems. Transgender woman includes individuals who were assigned “male” sex at birth but have ever identified as “female” gender.

j The term transgender man is used in CDC surveillance systems. Transgender man includes individuals who were assigned “female” sex at birth but have ever identified as “male” gender.

k This page uses the regions defined by the U.S. 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.

l HIV diagnosis estimates here include children (<13 years at diagnosis).

m HIV care among people with diagnosed HIV in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

Bibliography

CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2021. HIV Surveillance Report 2023;34.

CDC. Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States 2017–2021. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2023;28(3).

CDC. Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by using HIV surveillance data—United States and 6 dependent areas, 2021. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2023;28(4).

HHS. America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard (AHEAD).