Between 1980 and 1992, 227 AIDS cases and 1,010 HIV seropositives were diagnosed in Israel, 222 AIDS cases and 965 seropositives occurring in persons aged 13 years and older. Among the AIDS cases, the predominant risk groups were male homo/bisexuals, intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs) and hemophiliacs. Among the seropositives, the predominant risk group comprised men and women originating in countries characterized by pattern II transmission; however, among nonimmigrants, male homo/bisexuals, IVDAs and hemophiliacs predominated. In recent years, there has been a gradual fall in the number of new seropositives among homosexuals and drug abusers, and the appearance of seropositive hemophiliacs has ceased. The spread of HIV infection in the indigenous heterosexual population has been negligible.