In 2010 less than 1% of people living with a diagnosed HIV infection in the UK died. This is about the same as for the UK population as a whole, however the average age at death of people living with HIV is lower than that for the general population.

Nevertheless, people newly diagnosed with HIV today can expect a near-normal life expectancy if they are diagnosed early and receive treatment.

We cannot tell for certain how many people with HIV die each year because so many people remain undiagnosed. Many HIV positive people who died did not necessary do so as a direct result of their HIV infection.

How has this been changing over time?

In 2010, 682 deaths were reported among people living with a diagnosed HIV infection in the UK, of whom 68% had been diagnosed late (a CD4 count below 350 cells/mm³ within 3 months of diagnosis). Ninety percent of deaths within a year of diagnosis were among those diagnosed late.  Although the number of people living with HIV is increasing, improvements in HIV testing and advances in available treatment contribute to a considerable fallen in the proportion of deaths among people with HIV in recent years.