Countries With the Fastest Decline in HIV prevalence (5-Year Change)
Change in HIV prevalence over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Lesotho fell the most: by 4.4 pts, from 21.5% of people 15-49 to 17.1% of people 15-49 in the five years to 2024. Eswatini is second (−4.2 pts), followed by Botswana (−4 pts). 51 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −0.3 pts.
- #1
- Lesotho · −4.4 pts
- Median
- −0.3 pts
- Coverage
- 51 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesotho | 21.5 | 17.1 | −4.4 pts |
| 2 | Eswatini | 27.6 | 23.4 | −4.2 pts |
| 3 | Botswana | 19.7 | 15.7 | −4 pts |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 12.5 | 9.8 | −2.7 pts |
| 5 | Malawi | 8.3 | 6.2 | −2.1 pts |
| 6 | Namibia | 11.1 | 9 | −2.1 pts |
| 7 | Zambia | 11.5 | 9.4 | −2.1 pts |
| 8 | South Africa | 18.5 | 17.2 | −1.3 pts |
| 9 | Mozambique | 12.7 | 11.5 | −1.2 pts |
| 10 | Uganda | 6.1 | 4.9 | −1.2 pts |
| 11 | Kenya | 3.9 | 3 | −0.9 pts |
| 12 | Central African Republic | 3.1 | 2.4 | −0.7 pts |
| 13 | Cameroon | 3.2 | 2.5 | −0.7 pts |
| 14 | Rwanda | 2.7 | 2 | −0.7 pts |
| 15 | Tanzania | 4.2 | 3.5 | −0.7 pts |
| 16 | Gabon | 3.4 | 2.8 | −0.6 pts |
| 17 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.8 | 2.2 | −0.6 pts |
| 18 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2.2 | 1.7 | −0.5 pts |
| 19 | Djibouti | 1.3 | 0.9 | −0.4 pts |
| 20 | Togo | 2 | 1.6 | −0.4 pts |
| 21 | Burundi | 1.1 | 0.8 | −0.3 pts |
| 22 | Gambia, The | 1.6 | 1.3 | −0.3 pts |
| 23 | Nigeria | 1.5 | 1.2 | −0.3 pts |
| 24 | South Sudan | 1.8 | 1.5 | −0.3 pts |
| 25 | Liberia | 1.2 | 0.9 | −0.3 pts |
| 26 | Chad | 1.2 | 0.9 | −0.3 pts |
| 27 | Benin | 0.9 | 0.7 | −0.2 pts |
| 28 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 0.9 | 0.7 | −0.2 pts |
| 29 | Ethiopia | 0.9 | 0.7 | −0.2 pts |
| 30 | Burkina Faso | 0.7 | 0.5 | −0.2 pts |
| 31 | Bahamas, The | 1.3 | 1.1 | −0.2 pts |
| 32 | Eritrea | 0.6 | 0.4 | −0.2 pts |
| 33 | Ghana | 1.7 | 1.5 | −0.2 pts |
| 34 | Guinea | 1.5 | 1.3 | −0.2 pts |
| 35 | Mali | 1 | 0.8 | −0.2 pts |
| 36 | Thailand | 1.2 | 1 | −0.2 pts |
| 37 | Belize | 1.3 | 1.2 | −0.1 pts |
| 38 | Barbados | 1.1 | 1 | −0.1 pts |
| 39 | Estonia | 0.8 | 0.7 | −0.1 pts |
| 40 | Sierra Leone | 1.5 | 1.4 | −0.1 pts |
| 41 | Canada | 0.2 | 0.1 | −0.1 pts |
| 42 | Mauritania | 0.2 | 0.1 | −0.1 pts |
| 43 | Netherlands | 0.2 | 0.1 | −0.1 pts |
| 44 | Nepal | 0.2 | 0.1 | −0.1 pts |
| 45 | Cambodia | 0.6 | 0.5 | −0.1 pts |
| 46 | Latvia | 0.6 | 0.5 | −0.1 pts |
| 47 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.9 | 0.8 | −0.1 pts |
| 48 | Viet Nam | 0.5 | 0.4 | −0.1 pts |
| 49 | Angola | 1.7 | 1.6 | −0.1 pts |
| 50 | Haiti | 1.7 | 1.6 | −0.1 pts |
| 51 | Jamaica | 1.2 | 1.1 | −0.1 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #1 on this list with −4.4 pts.
- Capital
- Maseru
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,089 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.
#2 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #2 on this list with −4.2 pts.
- Capital
- Mbabane, Lobamba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.26 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in unemployment rate · #1 in hiv prevalence · #3 in youth unemployment rate.
#3 Botswana
Botswana ranks #3 on this list with −4 pts.
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.56 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,778 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in unemployment rate · #4 in hiv prevalence · #5 in youth unemployment rate.
#4 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ranks #4 on this list with −2.7 pts.
- Capital
- Harare
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 16.95 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.22 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,021 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 40.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Harare, Masvingo.
Also ranks #2 in lending interest rate · #3 in inflation rate · #4 in income share of richest 10%.
#5 Malawi
Malawi ranks #5 on this list with −2.1 pts.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
#6 Namibia
Namibia ranks #6 on this list with −2.1 pts.
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,876 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 50.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in women in ministerial positions share · #2 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#7 Zambia
Zambia ranks #7 on this list with −2.1 pts.
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 21.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.88 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,318 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lusaka.
Also ranks #2 in mineral rents share of gdp · #3 in gini index · #4 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#8 South Africa
South Africa ranks #8 on this list with −1.3 pts.
- Capital
- Pretoria, Cape Town
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 64.75 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$427.18 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,598 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.
Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.
#9 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #9 on this list with −1.2 pts.
- Capital
- Maputo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 35.63 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.34 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$626.9 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.
Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.
#10 Uganda
Uganda ranks #10 on this list with −1.2 pts.
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in HIV prevalence over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.DYN.AIDS.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49): UNAIDS estimates, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: UNAIDS estimates, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.