New York City recorded 1,791 new HIV diagnoses in 2024, marking a 5.4% increase from the previous year and the fourth consecutive year cases either rose or remained flat. This reversal ends a steady decline seen before 2020, according to the city’s 2024 HIV Surveillance Annual Report.
The burden falls overwhelmingly on communities of color. Black and Latino New Yorkers accounted for 86% of all new diagnoses, despite representing roughly half the city’s population. Among newly diagnosed women, 91% were Black or Latina. Within the group of men who have sex with men—who represent 65% of cases where risk factors were known—82% were Black or Latino.
Economic hardship intensifies these disparities. Approximately 42% of new HIV cases emerged from high or very high-poverty neighborhoods where residents often lack consistent access to healthcare, testing centers, and prevention services. Housing instability and food insecurity create additional barriers for at-risk individuals.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted HIV prevention efforts as clinics reduced services, leading to fewer tests and delayed treatment. Communities hardest hit by COVID-19 were frequently the same ones facing elevated HIV risk.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis remains underused among those who need it most. Young people, women, and people of color are far less likely to take or even know about PrEP. Proposed federal budget cuts could eliminate more than $41 million annually in HIV prevention funding, threatening decades of progress.
See: “NYC HIV Report Reveals Rising Cases and Deepening Racial Disparities | VIDEO” (December 29, 2025)
