The latest HIV data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for England has been published in its 2026 report on the government’s HIV Action Plan as the UK aims to be the first country in the world to end new cases by 2030.
There were 2,773 new HIV diagnoses in England in the data for 2024, which represents a 6% decrease. But, with an ambition of just 532 people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2030, the data exposes the stark inequalities in progress in terms of new diagnoses, retention in HIV care and in access to HIV prevention medication PrEP.
Key statistics
- An estimated 114,000 adults were living with HIV in England in 2024, including 6,000 people living with undiagnosed HIV.
- While new HIV diagnoses fell overall by 6% between 2023 and 2024, the decrease was mainly in White gay and bisexual men (6%), compared to a 2% decrease in ethnic minority gay and bisexual men and a 15% increase in Black African heterosexual men.
- Two in five of those who received a diagnosis were diagnosed late, when damage to the immune system has already begun.
- Record levels of people are accesing HIV prevention with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. But inequalities in access persist with PrEP uptake (among people with HIV PrEP need) highest among White gay and bisexual men at 79.4% in 2024 compared with 34.6% for Black African heterosexual women and 36.4% for Black African heterosexual men. This means two-thirds of those of Black African ethnicity were identified as needing PrEP did not go on to access it.
- More than 5% of people who had previously accessed HIV treatment are not retained in care. Terrence Higgins Trust’s new campaign It’s worth another try is aiming to tackle this, with a current pilot in London and Glasgow.
- HIV-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings was highest at 7.7% for ethnic minority gay and bisexual men and other ethnic minority heterosexuals, followed by 7% for Black African heterosexual men and 6.9% for Black African heterosexual and bisexual women, and the lowest was for White gay and bisexual men at 6.0%.
- The UNAIDS 95-95-95 estimates for 2024 were 95%-95%-98%. However, the proportion diagnosed remains unchanged since 2022 despite scaled up testing over recent years.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'These figures should be a wake-up call. They set out clearly how far we still have to go to reach our shared goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030, with England now likely to have missed the 2025 interim targets.
'Above all, they highlight once again the stark inequalities that continue to shape this epidemic. While there has been welcome progress for white gay and bisexual men, ethnic minority gay and bisexual men and people of Black African ethnicity are increasingly being left behind. We will only end new HIV cases if we confront these inequalities head-on.
'The new HIV Action Plan for England sets ambitious targets and outlines the steps the Government intends to take. It now needs to be delivered at pace. That includes being more ambitious about expanding PrEP to new settings – online and through community – and accelerating the rollout of new prevention technologies such as injectable PrEP.'
Further reading
You can read more in the UK Health Security Agency’s HIV Action Plan monitoring and evaluation framework: 2026 report, and find out more about our work to re-engage people living with HIV with a clinic on our It’s worth another try webpage.
