According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the World Health Organization and United Nations AIDS Report, the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of HIV-infected adults are all on the African continent. The Central Intelligence Agency has compiled a top 10 list of countries by total numbers infected. Eight of the 10 countries on the CIA list are in Africa. On the African continent, the HIV epidemic appears worst in the sub-Sahara region, where Kaiser reported 12 million children 18 years old and younger have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In Swaziland, where 26 percent of adults (defined as those from ages 15 to 49) are infected, the one-in-four ratio has resulted in the world's lowest life expectancy rate, 40 years. The compiled list rates nations in descending order by both percentage and total numbers according to the two reports.
South Africa/Swaziland
South Africa tops the list of most people infected with HIV/AIDS, with 5.3 million. But the highest percentage of people in any one country with HIV/AIDS is Swaziland, with 26.1 percent.
India/Botswana
India has the second-highest population with HIV/AIDS, numbering 5.1 million people, with the second highest-percentage of infection in Botswana, at 23.9 percent.
Nigeria/Lesotho
Third place in population is Nigeria with 3.6 million people; in percentage, it is the African country of Lesotho, with 23.2 percent. Placements of four through 10 will show the population ranking first, then percentage rank.
Zimbabwe/South Africa
Zimbabwe at 1.8 million people, South Africa at 18.1 percent.
Tanzania/Namibia
Tanzania at 1.6 million people, Namibia at 15.3 percent.
Ethiopia/Zimbabwe
Ethiopia at 1.5 million people, Zimbabwe at 15.3 percent (only slightly behind Namibia).
Mozambique/Zambia
Mozambique at 1.3 million people, Zambia at 15.2 percent.
Kenya/Mozambique
Kenya at 1.2 million, Mozambique at 12.5 percent.
Democratic Republic of the Congo/Malawi
Democratic Republic of the Congo at 1.1 million people, Malawi at 11.9 percent.
United States/Central African Republic
United States at 950,000 people, Central African Republic at 6.3 percent.
