United States Statistics by race and age

HIV and AIDS statistics by race/ethnicity

Black and Hispanic communities have been disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in America. Despite their smaller share of the general population, more black people have been diagnosed with AIDS than white people, and they are far more likely to be diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.

During 2007, 50% of all new HIV diagnoses and 42% of new AIDS diagnoses were in black people yet they comprise around just 13% of the population. In recent years the numbers of HIV diagnoses have remained relatively stable in most ethnic groups.

Male-to-male sexual contact is probably the single largest factor for all people living with AIDS ranging from 46% of African American males to 84% of Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander males. African Americans and Hispanic males with AIDS are more likely to have been infected through injection drug use, relative to other ethnic groups with around a quarter of infections (26% and 23% respectively) having been caused in this way. For females living with AIDS heterosexual contact accounts for the majority of all infections. However, injection drug use accounts for a greater proportion of White and American Indian/Alaska Native females living with AIDS (40%) than for Asians (11%) or Pacific Islanders (18%).

Estimated adult and adolescent HIV and AIDS case rates (per 100,000 population), by race/ethnicity, 2007

Race/ethnicity HIV AIDS
Males Females Total Males Females Total
White 18.7 3.3 10.8 10.6 1.8 6.1
Black/African American 136.8 60.6 96.2 81.3 39.8 59.2
Hispanic/Latino 56.2 16.0 36.9 31.0 8.9 20.4
Asian 15.5 3.5 9.3 7.3 1.6 4.3
American Indian/Alaska Native 23.1 9.4 16.4 12.5 5.0 8.6
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 76.7 9.0 43.4 37.5 7.1 22.3
Total 38.8 12.9 25.6 21.6 7.5 14.4

Estimated HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year (34 states only)

Race/ethnicity Year of diagnosis
2004 2005 2006 2007
White 10,836 10,818 10,815 12,556
Black/African American
 19,309 18,479 18,975 21,549
Hispanic/Latino 6,183 6,383 6,590 7,484
Asian 308 329 332 455
American Indian/Alaska Native 177 180 163 228
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 39 43 49 46

Estimated AIDS diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year (50 states and D.C.)

Race/ethnicity Year of diagnosis All years
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
White 11,061 11,064 10,580 10,521 10,407 404,465
Black/African American 19,580 18,719 17,690 17,257 17,507 426,003
Hispanic/Latino 7,214 6,817 6,804 6,875 6,921 169,138
Asian 394 389 378 425 475 7,511
American Indian/Alaska Native 181 184 164 148 158 3,492
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 52 51 58 61 76 721
Aids diagnoses in 2007

Estimated adult and adolescent males living with AIDS by race/ethnicity and exposure category, all years to the end of 2007 (50 states and D.C.)

Race/ethnicity Transmission route
 Total*
Male-to-male
sexual contact		 Injection
drug use		 Male-to-male sexual contact
and injection drug use		 High-risk heterosexual
contact		 Other
White 106,286 12,433 12,729 5,236 1,713 138,937
Black/African American 60,816 34,635 10,606 24,932 1,002 131,992
Hispanic/Latino 40,251 15,490 4,626 7,038 542 67,947
Asian 2,806 230 177 359 78
 3,650
American Indian/Alaska Native 744
 202
 236
 86
 12 1,281
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 291 13 18 22 3 348
Total 213,500 63,636 28,691 38,067 3,380 347,284

* Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the "Total" column

Estimated adult and adolescent females living with AIDS by race/ethnicity and exposure category, all years to the end of 2007 (50 states and D.C.)

Race/ethnicity Transmission route
 Total*
Injection
drug use		 High-risk heterosexual
contact		 Other
White 7,876 11,478 515 19,869
Black/African American 19,634 43,811 1,170 64,615
Hispanic/Latino 5,365 11,836 421 17,622
Asian 78 577 76
 731
American Indian/Alaska Native 162 232 12 407
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 14 57 6 77
Total 33,531 68,798 2,231 104,560

* Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the "Total" column

See our AIDS statistics by transmission route and gender for further information.

HIV and AIDS statistics by age

More than half a million people diagnosed with AIDS have died in the USA. Around two-thirds of these people did not live to the age of 45.

In 2007, the age group 30-49 years accounted for an estimated 54% of HIV diagnoses, 63% of AIDS diagnoses, and 56% of deaths of people diagnosed with AIDS. The estimated number of children (under 13) diagnosed with AIDS in 2007 was 28.

Almost 17% of HIV diagnoses were in people aged 50 and above. In America there is increasing concern over how the HIV/AIDS epidemic is affecting the older generation. AVERT has more about older people, HIV and AIDS.

When interpreting HIV and AIDS statistics, it is important to remember that a person infected with HIV will probably not develop AIDS for several years - the average delay in the USA is around ten years without treatment, and longer if antiretroviral drugs are taken. Also, new diagnoses of HIV do not necessarily represent new infections, because people may live with the virus for a number of years before being tested.

Estimated HIV diagnoses, AIDS diagnoses and deaths of persons with AIDS, by age group

Estimated AIDS diagnoses and deaths of persons with AIDS by age group, Graph
Age at diagnosis
or death		 HIV by year
of diagnosis		 AIDS by year
of diagnosis		 Deaths
by year
2007 2007 All years 2007 All years
Under 13 159 28 9,209 5 4,891
13-14 40 80
 1,169 17
 292
15-19 1,703 455 6,089 41 1,143
20-24 4,907 1,927
 38,175 155 8,880
25-29 5,771 3,380 120,464 440 44,219
30-34 5,089
 4,187 201,906 766
 96,379
35-39 6,088
 5,888 219,601 1,600 118,886
40-44 6,554
 6,813 177,250 2,660
 107,417
45-49 5,172 5,749 112,896 2,865 76,249
50-54 3,489 3,636 63,408 2,411 47,022
55-59 1,938 2,040 34,160 1,476 26,767
60-64 942 980 18,249 817
 15,244
65 or older 803 800 15,853 858 14,404
Total* 42,655 35,962
 1,018,428 14,110 562,793

* Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the "Total" row

Notes

The latest statistics on AIDS & HIV in the USA were published in February 2009 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There is often a delay between the time of diagnosis of HIV or AIDS, or the time of death, and the time at which the event is reported. Moreover, this delay may differ among different categories of people. For this reason the CDC estimates the number of diagnoses, deaths and people living with HIV or AIDS by adjusting for reporting delays, taking into account the differences between categories. The CDC also redistributes cases into exposure categories if none was initially reported. No adjustment is made for incomplete reporting. On this page, all numbers are CDC estimates.

On this page "adults and adolescents" are defined as persons aged 13 years or more. The term "transmission route" refers to the most probable route of transmission of HIV infection. The term "male-to-male sexual contact" includes gay men, bisexual men and some men who consider themselves to be neither gay nor bisexual. The "high-risk heterosexual contact" category comprises persons who report specific heterosexual contact with a person with, or at high risk for, HIV infection (e.g., an injection drug user). This does not include adults and adolescents born in, or who had sex with someone born in, a country where heterosexual transmission was believed to be the main mode of HIV transmission, unless they meet the criteria stated in the previous sentence.

The HIV statistics presented on this page include only the 34 states with a history of confidential name-based HIV reporting, as listed in our USA AIDS Statistics Summary. The AIDS statistics include all 50 states of the USA and the District of Columbia.

back to top

AddThis Social Bookmark Button What's this?

Sources:

Last updated June 25, 2009