The Global Health Observatory

Explore a world of health data

Map
Table Table
Indicator name:
HIV – Number of people dying from HIV-related causes
Short name:
HIV deaths
Data type:
Count
Indicator Id:
2922
Topic:
HIV
Burden of disease
ISO Health Indicators Framework
Health conditions
Rationale:
HIV and AIDS has become a major public health problem in many countries and monitoring the course of the epidemic and impact of interventions is crucial. Both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2021 United Nations Political Declaration have set goals of reducing people dying from HIV-related causes.
Definition:
The estimated number of people (all ages) that have died due to HIV in a specific year.
Disaggregation:
• Gender (female, male, other*)

• Age (0-14, 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 10–19, 15+,15–24,15–49, 50+ years)

• Key populations (men who have sex with men, people living in prisons, people who inject drugs, sex workers, trans and gender diverse people)

• Cities and other administrative regions of epidemiologic importance

*The category of other includes trans and gender diverse people who choose an identity other than male or female.

Method of measurement
Individual-level programme data, civil registration and vital statistics records or other registries. Mathematical modelling, such as Spectrum AIM, can also be used. Modelling tools require demographic data, HIV prevalence, the number of people receiving ART, HIV incidence and assumptions concerning survival rates. Additional data from verbal autopsy and/or data from vital reporting systems (and related estimates of underreporting and misclassification) may be used as inputs.
M&E Framework:
Impact
Method of estimation:
Countries produce national estimates of the number of people dying from HIV-related causes, which are compiled and published annually by UNAIDS and WHO. Standard methods and tools for HIV estimates that are appropriate to the pattern of the HIV epidemic are used. However, to obtain the best possible estimates, judgement needs to be used as to the quality of the data and how representative it is of the population.
Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
Regional estimates are the sum of the country data in each WHO region.
Preferred data sources:
Civil registration with complete coverage and medical certification of cause of death
Unit of Measure:
Deaths
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Annual
Expected frequency of data collection:
Annual
Comments:
In the era of “Treat All”, effective diagnosis and treatment of people living with HIV should greatly reduce deaths due to HIV-related causes.
Contact person email:
beusenbergm@who.int
Name:
Michel Beusenberg
IMRID:
2922
Links:
HIV data and statistics, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes (HHS), Geneva: World Health Organization 
HIV country profiles, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes (HHS), Geneva: World Health Organization 
Consolidated guidelines on person-centred HIV strategic information: strengthening routine data for impact. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022 
2023 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2023 
Global AIDS Monitoring 2023: Indicators and questions for monitoring progress on the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2023
UNAIDS epidemiological estimates
Spectrum software, Avenir Health 
UNAIDS HIV tools 
Indicator Metadata Registry List
Other visualisations & images
Situation and trends: 630 000 [490 000−820 000] people died of HIV-related illnesses worldwide in 2024. Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and a declining incidence of HIV infections have led to a steep fall globally in the number of adults and children dying from HIV-related causes. The estimated 630 000 [490 000−820 000] people dying from HIV globally in 2024 were 70% fewer than in 2004 (the peak) and 54%(1) fewer than in 2010 in spite of a period of substantial population growth in many high burden countries. Nevertheless, there is no room for complacency. Countries need to live up to their commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 -- a target included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. The drop in HIV-related mortality is especially evident in the regions with the greatest burden of HIV infection, including the WHO African Region, home to over 61% of people dying from HIV-related causes in 2024. An estimated 380 000 [310 000−490 000] people died in the African Region from HIV-related causes in 2024, which indicates that mortality has dropped by almost 59% since 2010. (1) Percentage change in HIV estimates was calculated from unrounded estimates in the corresponding text.
If you have any feedback, you are welcome to write it here.
If you need to access the old Global Health Observatory data, you can do it here. But before you leave, please provide us your feedback about our new data portal.