Until recently, data on levels of HIV infection for developing countries were not sufficiently voluminous to allow any but a one-time snapshot of the situation in a particular region or country.  However, this picture is rapidly changing as repeated surveys and sentinel surveillance projects established over the past several years begin to use consistent methods of HIV serologic data collection over a period of years. The data presented in each country profile were drawn from the June 1996 release of the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Database.