Australia Statistics Summary

An estimated 16,692 people were living with HIV in Australia at the end of 2007.

From the start of the epidemic until the end of June 2007, there have been 23,360 diagnoses of HIV (after adjusting for multiple reports) and 10,097 diagnoses of AIDS. Australia has recorded 6,709 deaths of people with AIDS.

AIDS incidence in Australia (0.9 per 100,000 population) is similar to that in the UK and Canada (1.4 and 0.8 respectively), and much lower that in the United States (12.8).

Estimated* HIV and AIDS diagnoses by year

Year HIV AIDS
Male Female Total** Male Female Total**
1987 and earlier 6,846 236 7,116 762 35 797
1988 1,221 73 1,297 520 15 536
1989 1,295 74 1,371 599 13 614
1990 1,283 85 1,276 655 17 674
1991 1,078 80 1,162 775 26 804
1992 1,051 88 1,140 752 37 791
1993 912 67 986 799 41 845
1994 839 85 926 904 45 953
1995 818 71 890 773 35 811
1996 811 74 887 637 33 670
1997 637 83 721 362 32 395
1998 550 94 645 305 23 329
1999 610 73 685 193 22 216
2000 572 82 658 240 24 264
2001 593 95 690 189 23 213
2002 731 90 825 224 20 246
2003 728 84 813 226 17 244
2004 724 126 851 176 22 200
2005 820 92 913 213 28 241
2006 810 145 958 226 20 249
2007 842 140 983 169 15 185
Total 22,302 2,025 24,391 9,722 543 10,303

* HIV data are adjusted for multiple reporting; AIDS figures for 2003-2005 are adjusted for reporting delays

** Includes people whose sex was reported as transgender

The annual number of HIV diagnoses in Australia peaked in 1987. There followed twelve years of decline, after which the rate of diagnoses grew again to reach 983 in 2007 (after adjusting for multiple reporting).

The annual number of AIDS diagnoses in Australia peaked in 1994 at 953 cases, and then declined rapidly to 216 in 1999. The fall since 1996 was largely due to the introduction of effective combination antiretroviral therapy, which delays progression from HIV infection to AIDS. The number of AIDS diagnoses has since remained relatively stable.

Exposure categories

Transmission in Australia continues to occur primarily through sexual contact between men. Around 64% of people newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the period 2003-2007 were men with a history of homosexual contact; 21% were probably exposed through heterosexual contact; 3% were injecting drug users; and a further 4% were men with a history of both injecting drug use and homosexual contact. In 8% of cases the route of HIV transmission was categorised as other or undetermined.

HIV and AIDS cases by state/territory, until end of June 2007

State/Territory HIV AIDS
Male Female Total* Male Female Total**
Australian Capital Territory 260 32 292 92 10 102
New South Wales 13,658 897 14,814 5,435 251 5,704
Northern Territory 135 23 158 45 4 49
Queensland 2,815 287 3,111 1,043 73 1,118
South Australia 965 104 1,070 409 32 442
Tasmania 110 12 122 53 4 57
Victoria 5,380 379 5,803 2,025 112 2,150
Western Australia 1,244 215 1,466 432 41 475
Total 24,567 1,949 26,836 9,534 527 10,097

* Includes people whose sex was not reported or was reported as transgender

** Includes people whose sex was reported as transgender

Relative to population size, New South Wales has had by far the highest rate of HIV diagnoses: 213.9 per 100,000 people. Victoria has had the second highest rate of 110.4 and Capital Territory is not far behind at 87.1. Rates have been similar across Queensland (73.4), Northern Territory (72.9), Western Australia (69.1) and South Australia (66.0). Tasmania has had the lowest rate of 24.1 HIV diagnoses per 100,000 population.

During the twelve month period up to June 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses per million population were highest in Victoria (11.2) and Northern Territory (9.7), and lowest in Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory (no reported cases).

Ethnicity and country of origin

Overall rates of HIV and AIDS diagnoses per capita have differed little between indigenous and non-indigenous people. However, there are differences in the relative importance of HIV transmission routes.

Among indigenous people diagnosed with HIV in 2003-2007, a higher proportion of infections were reported as being due to heterosexual contact (28% versus 19% for non-indigenous cases) and  injecting drug use (18% versus 3%). In addition a higher proportion were among women (25% versus 16%).

People born in Australia accounted for 66% of AIDS diagnoses in Australia in the period 2003-2007.

AIDS cases and deaths following AIDS, by sex and age, until end of June 2007

Age Cases Deaths
Male Female Total* Male Female Total*
0-12 30 21 51 22 12 34
13-19 28 5 33 15 3 18
20-29 1,446 123 1,584 692 50 753
30-39 3,890 195 4,097 2,479 105 2,593
40-49 2,762 99 2,866 2,064 59 2,125
50-59 1,018
 45 1,067 814 33 848
60+ 360 39 399 301 37 338
Total 9,534 527 10,097 6,387 299 6,709

* Includes people whose sex was reported as transgender

In Australia, further evidence of the benefits of improved therapy has come from the substantial improvement in length of life following the diagnosis of AIDS. Median survival time has increased from 19 months for cases diagnosed prior to 1998 to 69 months for cases diagnosed in 2002.

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Sources:

  • National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research. Australian HIV Surveillance Report, Vol 23, No 4, October 2007
  • National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research. HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Reports 1997-2008. National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Sydney, NSW; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, ACT

Last updated December 16, 2008