Statistics on HIV/AIDS

The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Switzerland and globally

Switzerland

In 2020, there was a further decline in the number of HIV diagnoses reported to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). For the first time since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the early 1980s, fewer than 300 cases were reported to the FOPH, namely 290. In the 1990s, the average number of cases per year was 1300. An increased testing regime, particularly of exposed groups, ever-earlier treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) seem to have triggered a trend reversal.

  • Around 17,350 people in Switzerland live with HIV.
  • In 2021, a total of 318 new HIV diagnoses were reported to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). These are more reports than in the previous year (291 cases). However, the increase must be put into perspective in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The majority of reported HIV cases concerns men: their proportion, at 75%, remains virtually unchanged. In 2021, in common with previous years, sex with other men was cited as the most common route of infection (52,3%) for men diagnosed with HIV. This was followed by heterosexual contacts (28%). The use of contaminated injectables for intravenous drug use (IDU) was found in 2.21% of HIV diagnoses in men. In around 17,6% of HIV diagnoses in men, the infection route was unable to be determined.
  • Women diagnosed with HIV in 2021 mainly contracted the infection through heterosexual routes (74,1 %), similar to previous years. In 24,1 % of HIV diagnoses in women, the route of infection is unknown.
  • The Swiss HIV cascade is far ahead in a global comparison: 93% of all persons living in Switzerland with HIV in 2021 have a corresponding diagnosis and thus knew of their infection, 96% of those diagnosed with HIV received treatment, and 97% of those with HIV treatment had a viral load below the detection limit, can therefore no longer pass on the virus.

Source: Federal Office of Public Health, date of issue November 2022

Worldwide

2022 People living with HIV /  Grafik, aidsinfo.unaids.org.
  • There are 38.4 million people world-wide living with HIV (2021).
  • Of this number, around 28.7 million have access to antiretroviral therapy. Ten years ago there were only 8.1 million.
  • In 2021, 650'000 people died of AIDS. In 2011, this figure was 1.7 million.
  • There were approximately 1.5 million new HIV infections around the world in 2021. This represents a decrease of 40 % compared to 2011.
  • In relation to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, in 2021 85% of those living with HIV around the world were aware of their status, 88% of these people had access to treatment, and 92% displayed viral suppression.

Data by UNAIDS, november 2022