AIDS death toll more than 4,300 since 1983

Last year, 66 persons (52 men and 14 women) died from AIDS in the Netherlands. AIDS mortality is higher than in 2006. Altogether, 4,344 people in the Netherlands died of AIDS in the period 1983–2007.

First AIDS deaths date back to 1983

In 1982, the first AIDS cases were diagnosed in the Netherlands. The first AIDS deaths were recorded in 1983. Subsequently, AIDS mortality increased rapidly to reach 444 in 1994. Since 1995, AIDS mortality rates have declined substantially, in particular for men.

AIDS mortality

Marginal increase in 2007

In 2006, AIDS mortality had been reduced to 48 cases. In 2007, the mortality rate rose again to reach 66. The increase can almost entirely be attributed to men. If the recent increase is taken into account, the AIDS mortality rate in the Netherlands is still extremely low relative to the mid-1990s. 

Women die younger

More than half of people who died of AIDS were aged between 30 and 45. Female AIDS patients generally die younger than men. One quarter of women were in the 30-35 age group when they died. Dying from AIDS is very rare among over-65s. Last year, 66 people died from AIDS, of whom only 4 were over-65s.

AIDS mortality by gender and age

Many AIDS deaths have foreign background

Proportionally, dying from AIDS is more frequent in the Netherlands among people with a foreign background. Nearly 40 percent of AIDS deaths in the last decade had a foreign background. With 6 in 10, the ratio for women was even higher.

AIDS mortality by gender and ethnic background

AIDS mortality higher in the Antillean and Aruban population

The differences in AIDS mortality among the various ethnic groups are considerable. Proportionally, AIDS mortality is extremely high (13 in every 1,000 deaths) among people from Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.

The AIDS mortality rate is far higher in people from African countries like Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Cameroon, but the number of deaths is low, because the communities living in the Netherlands are small.

AIDS mortality per 1,000 deaths

Ingeborg Deerenberg