HIV in Canada: Surveillance summary tables, 2014-2015

The Public Health Agency of Canada publishes HIV/AIDS surveillance data annually in the HIV/AIDS in Canada: Surveillance Report.  Due to on-going enhancements to surveillance infrastructure, this year a set of surveillance summary tables is provided as an overview of HIV case surveillance in Canada for 2014-2015, instead of a full report.  Specifically, these tables present the number of HIV cases in Canada for 2014-15, by province/territory, sex, age group, exposure category and race/ethnicity. The number of perinatally HIV-exposed infants and current status is also presented.

Please refer to the previously released HIV and AIDS in Canada: Surveillance Report to December 31, 2014 for a full description of methodology, information on data collection and data limitations.

There were 2,096 cases of HIV diagnosed in 2015, up 2.2% from the 2,051 diagnosed in 2014 (Table 1). However, the national diagnosis rate at 5.8 per 100,000 in 2015, was equivalent to the 2014 rate. Ontario reported the highest number of cases (n=842), followed by Quebec (n=473), British Columbia (n=239) and Alberta (n=234). HIV diagnosis rates were higher than the national rate in: Saskatchewan (14.4 per 100,000), Manitoba (8.1 per 100,000) and Ontario (6.1 per 100,000).

Females made up 24.1% of HIV cases in 2015, down slightly from 24.3% reported in 2014 (Table 2).

Youth aged 15-24 represented 10.8% of cases in 2015, down from 11.4% in 2014. The largest increases with respect to the proportion of HIV diagnoses by age group were observed among those aged 25-29, from 11.8% in 2014 to 15.8% in 2015, and those aged 50 years and older, up from 21.9% in 2014 to 23.9% in 2015 (Table 3).

In 2015, the most common exposure category reported among adults (≥15 years old) was “Men who have sex with men” (MSM) (45.1%), followed by heterosexual contact (31.9%) and injection drug use (IDU) (16.3%) (Table 4). Among males, the MSM exposure category accounted for 59.7% of cases, followed by heterosexual contact at 21.4% and IDU at 12.5%, whereas heterosexual contact accounted for 64.4% of cases among females, followed by IDU at 27.9% (Table 4).

Table 5 shows the number and percent distribution of cases by race/ethnicity. In 2015, 45.6% of cases were reported as “White”, followed by 18.7% as “Black” and 17.5% as Indigenous.

There were 232 infants perinatally exposed to HIV in 2015; three of these infants were confirmed to be HIV-infected (see Table 6).

Table 1: Number and all-ages HIV diagnosis rate (per 100,000 population) of HIV cases by province/territory, 2014-2015 Table 1 Footnote 1 Table 1 Footnote 2
Province/territory 2014 2015
Number of cases Rate
(per 100,000)
Number of cases Rate
(per 100,000)
British Columbia 261 5.6 239 5.1
Yukon 3 8.1 1 2.7
Alberta 282 6.9 234 5.6
Northwest Territories 1 2.3 1 2.3
Nunavut 0 0.0 1 2.7
Saskatchewan 123 11.0 163 14.4
Manitoba 87 6.8 105 8.1
Ontario 828 6.1 842 6.1
QuebecTable 1 Footnote 3 435 5.3 473 5.7
New Brunswick 4 0.5 9 1.2
Nova Scotia 13 1.4 17 1.8
Prince Edward Island 1 0.7 0 0.0
Newfoundland and Labrador 13 2.5 11 2.1
Total 2,051 5.8 2,096 5.8
Table 1 Footnote 1

Population data source: Annual Demographic Statistics, Demography Division, Statistics Canada, July 2016.

Return to table 1 footnote 1 referrer

Table 1 Footnote 2

Reporting of HIV cases for individuals younger than two years of age varies among provinces and territories.

Return to table 1 footnote 2 referrer

Table 1 Footnote 3

For Quebec, the number of HIV cases reported is based on the minimum number of HIV-positive individuals.

Return to table 1 footnote 3 referrer

Table 2: Number and percentage distribution of HIV cases among adults (≥ 15 years old) and children (< 15 years old) by sex, 2014-2015 Table 2 Footnote 1
Age and sex 2014 2015
Number of cases  %Table 2 Footnote 2 Number of cases  %Table 2 Footnote 2
Children (< 15 years old)
Males 4 40.0 5 45.5
Females 6 60.0 6 54.5
Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender  0 - 0 -
Total 10 - 11 -
Adults (≥ 15 years old)
Males 1,541 75.8 1,583 76.1
Females 491 24.2 497 23.9
Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender  7 - 4 -
Total 2,039 - 2,084 -
Age group not reported
Males 1 100.0 0 0.0
Females 0 0.0 0 0.0
Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender  1 - 1 -
Total 2 - 1 -
All groups
Males 1,546 75.7 1,588 75.9
Females 497 24.3 503 24.1
Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender  8 - 5 -
Total 2,051 - 2,096 -
Table 2 Footnote 1

Reporting of HIV cases for individuals younger than two years of age varies among provinces and territories.

Return to table 2 footnote 1 referrer

Table 2 Footnote 2

Percentages are based on the total number excluding "Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender".

Return to table 2 footnote 2 referrer

Table 3: Number and percentage distribution of HIV cases by age group, 2014-2015 Table 3 Footnote 1
Age group 2014 2015
Number of cases % Number of cases %
Children (< 15 years old) 10 0.5 11 0.5
Adults 15 to 19 years 37 1.8 40 1.9
20 to 24 years 197 9.6 187 8.9
25 to 29 years 241 11.8 331 15.8
30 to 34 years 349 17.0 302 14.4
35 to 39 years 299 14.6 269 12.8
40 to 44 years 254 12.4 227 10.8
45 to 49 years 212 10.3 227 10.8
50 to 54 years 193 9.4 218 10.4
55 to 59 years 111 5.4 125 6.0
≥ 60 years 146 7.1 158 7.5
Subtotal 2,049 100.0 2,095 100.0
Age group not reported 2 - 1 -
Total 2,051 - 2,096 -
Table 3 Footnote 1

Reporting of HIV cases for individuals younger than two years of age varies among provinces and territories.

Return to table 3 footnote 1 referrer

Table 4: Number and percentage distribution of HIV cases among adults (≥ 15 years old) by exposure category, 2014-2015 Table 4 Footnote 1
Exposure category Male Female TotalTable 4 Footnote 2
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015
n % n % n % n % n % n %
MSM 669 62.8 623 59.7 - - - - 669 48.3 623 45.1
MSM/IDU 39 3.7 43 4.1 - - - - 39 2.8 43 3.1
IDU 103 9.7 131 12.5 80 25.4 94 27.9 185 13.4 225 16.3
Blood/blood products a) recipient of blood 2 0.2 1 0.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.1 1 0.1
b) recipient of clotting factor 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Heterosexual contact a) origin from an HIV-endemic country 60 5.6 52 5.0 76 24.1 95 28.2 136 9.8 147 10.6
b) sexual contact with a person at risk 65 6.1 65 6.2 62 19.7 76 22.6 128 9.2 141 10.2
c) NIR-Het 78 7.3 106 10.2 60 19.0 46 13.6 139 10.0 152 11.0
OtherTable 4 Footnote 3 49 4.6 23 2.2 37 11.7 26 7.7 86 6.2 49 3.5
Subtotal 1,065 100.0 1,044 100.0 315 100.0 337 100.0 1,384 100.0 1,381 100.0
NIR 41 - 49 - 20 - 10 - 62 - 60 -
Not reported 435 - 490 - 156 - 150 - 593 - 643 -
Total 1,541 - 1,583 - 491 - 497 - 2,039 - 2,084 -
  • MSM: Men who have sex with men. 
  • MSM/IDU: Men who have sex with men and use injection drugs.
  • IDU: Injection drug use.
  • NIR-Het: Heterosexual contact with no identified risk.
  • NIR: No identified risk.

Table 4 Footnotes

Table 4 Footnote 1

Exposure category data are not available for Quebec and are incomplete before 2009 for Ontario. These data are presented as "Not reported".

Return to table 4 footnote 1 referrer

Table 4 Footnote 2

Total includes cases reported as "Sex not reported/transsexual/transgender".

Return to table 4 footnote 2 referrer

Table 4 Footnote 3

For Alberta, cases identified as CIC/OOC were classified in the exposure category of "Other".

Return to table 4 footnote 3 referrer

Table 5: Number and percentage distribution of HIV cases by race/ethnicity, 2014-2015 (all ages) Table 5 Footnote 1 Table 5 Footnote 2
Race/ethnicity Year of test
2014 2015
n % n %
Indigenous a) First Nations 141 11.2 165 13.2
b) Métis 26 2.1 27 2.2
c) Inuit 1 0.1 0 0.0
d) Indigenous, unspecifiedTable 5 Footnote 3 37 2.9 26 2.1
Total 205 16.3 218 17.5
South Asian/West Asian/ArabTable 5 Footnote 4 61 4.9 63 5.0
AsianTable 5 Footnote 5 79 6.3 80 6.4
BlackTable 5 Footnote 6 249 19.8 234 18.7
Latin AmericanTable 5 Footnote 7 68 5.4 52 4.2
White 562 44.7 570 45.6
Other 32 2.5 32 2.6
Subtotal 1,256 100.0 1,249 100.0
Not reported 795 - 847 -
Total 2,051 - 2,096 -
Table 5 Footnote 1

Consider data limitations regarding ethnicity/race information when interpreting these data.

Return to table 5 footnote 1 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 2

Reporting of HIV cases for individuals younger than two years of age varies among provinces and territories.

Return to table 5 footnote 2 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 3

Indigenous data for British Columbia is unable to be disaggregated at this time.

Return to table 5 footnote 3 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 4

For example, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Armenian, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, and Moroccan.

Return to table 5 footnote 4 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 5

For example, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Laotian, Korean, and Filipino.

Return to table 5 footnote 5 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 6

For example, Somali, Haitian, and Jamaican.

Return to table 5 footnote 6 referrer

Table 5 Footnote 7

For example, Mexican, Central American, and South American.

Return to table 5 footnote 7 referrer

Table 6. Number of Canadian perinatally HIV-exposed infants by year of birth, current status and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for prophylaxis, 1984-2015
Category Year of birth Total
1984-2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
No perinatal ART prophylaxis
Confirmed infected
Asymptomatic 71 2 8 7 5 1 2 0 1 97
Symptomatic 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
Died of AIDS 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100
Died of other 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
Lost to follow-upTable 6 Footnote 1 165 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 171
Adult careTable 6 Footnote 2 205 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 205
Total 568 5 9 8 5 1 2 0 2 600
Confirmed not infected
Total 467 15 16 10 7 9 5 5 5 539
Infection status not confirmed
Indeterminate 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Lost to follow-upTable 6 Footnote 3 23 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 25
Total 23 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 26
Subtotal
(all categories)
1,058 20 25 18 13 11 7 5 8 1,165
Any perinatal ART prophylaxis
Confirmed infected
Asymptomatic 5 0 0 3 2 0 0 1 1 12
Symptomatic 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3
Died of AIDS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Died of other 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Lost to follow-upTable 6 Footnote 1 8 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 11
Adult careTable 6 Footnote 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Total 19 1 1 4 3 0 0 2 1 31
Confirmed not infected
Total 1,574 215 172 222 216 216 197 226 187 3,225
Infection status not confirmed
Indeterminate 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 30
Lost to follow-upTable 6 Footnote 3 20 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 33
Total 20 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 34 63
Subtotal
(all categories)
1,613 218 174 227 220 217 198 230 222 3,319
Perinatal ART prophylaxis exposure unknown 
Total 27 4 3 4 4 1 2 1 2 48
Total
(all categories)
2,698 242 202 249 237 229 207 236 232 4,532
Table 6 Footnote 1

A child is considered to be lost to follow-up if there are no current status data for the past 3 years or for the 3 years before the child turned 18 years old.

Return to table 6 footnote 1 referrer

Table 6 Footnote 2

These are subjects that were 18 years of age or over by the end of 2015 and transferred to adult care.

Return to table 6 footnote 2 referrer

Table 6 Footnote 3

Also includes infants that died before status was finalized.

Return to table 6 footnote 3 referrer

Page details

Date modified: