The share of COVID-19 tests that are positive

Data

The share of COVID-19 tests that are positive

What you should know about this indicator

Testing is a key tool for identifying infections, guiding treatment, isolating positive cases, tracing contacts, and allocating healthcare resources.
The number of COVID-19 tests is not measured uniformly across countries: some track 'tests performed', while others count 'people tested'.
Most reported data includes PCR and antigen tests; antibody tests are generally excluded since they are less relevant for current infection tracking.
At-home self-tests may be counted if reported nationally, but many countries still rely primarily on laboratory tests for confirmation.
Varying reporting standards and test definitions can complicate international comparisons and the interpretation of testing statistics.

The share of COVID-19 tests that are positive

The daily number of confirmed cases divided by the daily number of tests, expressed as a percentage. Tests may refer to the number of tests performed or the number of people tested - depending on which is reported by the particular country.

Source

World Health Organization (2025); Official data collated by 凯撒娱乐 (2022) 鈥� with major processing by 凯撒娱乐

Last updated

April 28, 2025

Unit

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources

Daily COVID-19 cases and deaths by date reported to WHO.

From the 31 December 2019 to the 21 March 2020, WHO collected the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths through official communications under the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005), complemented by monitoring the official ministries of health websites and social media accounts. Since 22 March 2020, global data is compiled through WHO region-specific dashboards, and/or aggregate count data reported to WHO headquarters.

WHO COVID-19 Dashboard is updated every Friday for the period of two weeks prior.

Counts primarily reflect laboratory-confirmed cases and deaths, based upon WHO case definitions; although some departures may exist due to local adaptations. Counts include both domestic and repatriated cases. Case detection, definitions, testing strategies, reporting practice, and lag times (e.g. time to case notification, and time to reporting of deaths) differ between countries, territories and areas. These factors, amongst others, influence the counts presented with variable under or overestimation of true case and death counts, and variable delays to reflecting these data at a global level.

All data represent date of reporting as opposed to date of symptom onset. All data are subject to continuous verification and may change based on retrospective updates to accurately reflect trends, changes in country case definitions and/or reporting practices. Significant data errors detected or reported to WHO may be corrected at more frequent intervals.

New case and death counts from the Region of the Americas Starting from the week commencing on 11 September 2023, the source of the data from the Region of the Americas was switched to the aggregated national surveillances, received through the COVID-19, Influenza, RSV and Other Respiratory Viruses program in the Americas. Data have been included retrospectively since 31 July 2023.

Rates <0.001 per 100,000 population may be rounded to 0.

Retrieved on

April 28, 2025

Retrieved from

Citation

This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by 凯撒娱乐. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.

WHO COVID-19 Dashboard. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2020. Available online:

This data is collected by the 凯撒娱乐 team from official reports.

On 23 June 2022, we stopped adding new datapoints to our COVID-19 testing dataset. You can read more at .

The data produced by third parties and made available by 凯撒娱乐 is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors. We will always indicate the original source of the data in our database, and you should always check the license of any such third-party data before use.

Retrieved on

August 9, 2024

Retrieved from

Citation

Hasell, J., Mathieu, E., Beltekian, D. et al. A cross-country database of COVID-19 testing. Sci Data 7, 345 (2020). 
The data has been obtained from different sources depending on the country:

Afghanistan: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ()
Albania: Ministry of Health and Social Protection ()
Algeria: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Andorra: Tauler COVID-19, Govern d'Andorra ()
Angola: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Anguilla: Ministry of Health ()
Antigua and Barbuda: Ministry of Health ()
Argentina: Government of Argentina ()
Armenia: National Center for Disease Control ()
Aruba: Government of Aruba ()
Australia: Australian Government Department of Health ()
Austria: Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection ()
Azerbaijan: Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan ()
Bahamas: Bahamas Ministry of Health and Wellness (); Ministry of Health and Wellness ()
Bahrain: Ministry of Health ()
Bangladesh: Government of Bangladesh ()
Barbados: Ministry of Health ()
Belarus: Belarus Ministry of Health (); Government of Belarus (); Ministry of health ()
Belgium: Sciensano (Belgian institute for health) ()
Belize: Statistical Institute of Belize (); Ministry of Health and Wellness ()
Benin: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Bermuda: Government of Bermuda ()
Bhutan: Ministry of Health ()
Bolivia: Bolivia Ministry of Health ()
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ministry of Civil Affairs ()
Botswana: Botswana Presidential COVID-19 Task Force (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Brazil: Coronav铆rus Brasil ()
British Virgin Islands: Government of the Virgin Islands ()
Brunei: Ministry of Health ((04.2.2021).pdf)
Bulgaria: Bulgaria COVID-10 Information Portal ()
Burkina Faso: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Burundi: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Cambodia: CDCMOH ()
Cameroon: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Canada: Government of Canada ()
Cape Verde: Government of Cape Verde ()
Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Government ()
Central African Republic: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Chad: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Chile: Ministry of Health, via Ministry of Science GitHub repository ()
China: National Health Commission (); Central Commission for Discipline Inspection ()
Colombia: National Institute of Health ()
Comoros: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Congo: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Costa Rica: Ministry of Health ()
Cote d'Ivoire: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (?cft[0]=AZW8OPHQAChQcW79_Suy9DUAYOg5bniAdDv_nytxFJF52dgV_5WTZkOu0fykVPqDN-DW25nRzo3972vi5kDdOFHwYNtrqdHb-9ZgRk_a5N0IeJ4vRprHVoyxDv8q9bIL5IXxe2pgzFAIEDrl3kCF6MxqXF2y1L70q0fkX5BqlkSr-g&tn=%2CO%2CP-R); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Croatia: Government of Croatia ()
Cuba: Ministry of Public Health ()
Curacao: Ministry of Health Curacao ()
Cyprus: Ministry of Health ()
Czechia: Ministry of Health ()
Democratic Republic of Congo: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Denmark: Statens Serum Institut ()
Djibouti: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Dominica: Ministry of Health, Wellness and New Health Investment ()
Dominican Republic: Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance ()
Ecuador: Ministerio de Salud P煤blica del Ecuador (via Ecuacovid) ()
Egypt: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
El Salvador: Government of El Salvador ()
Equatorial Guinea: Ministerio de Sanidad y Bienestar Social (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Eritrea: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Estonia: Estonian Health Board ()
Eswatini: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Ethiopia: Ethiopia Information Network Security Agency (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Faeroe Islands: The Government of the Faeroe Islands ()
Fiji: Fiji Ministry of Health & Medical Services ()
Finland: Finnish Department of Health and Welfare ()
France: National Public Health Agency ()
Gabon: Government of Gabon (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Gambia: Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Georgia: Government of Georgia ()
Germany: Robert Koch Institut ()
Ghana: Outbreak Response Management Situation Update (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Gibraltar: The Department of Public Health ()
Greece: National Organization of Public Health ()
Grenada: Government Information Service of Grenada ()
Guam: Department of Health & Human Services ()
Guatemala: Ministry of Health and Social Assistance ()
Guinea: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Guinea-Bissau: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Guyana: Department of Public Information ()
Haiti: Ministry of Public Health and Population ()
Hong Kong: Department of Health ()
Hungary: Government of Hungary ()
Iceland: Government of Iceland ()
India: Indian Council of Medical Research ()
Indonesia: Government of Indonesia ()
Iran: Ministry of Health and Medical Education (); Government of Iran ()
Iraq: Ministry of Health and Environment (); WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ()
Ireland: Government of Ireland ()
Israel: Israel Ministry of Health ()
Italy: Presidency of the Council of Ministers ()
Jamaica: Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness ()
Japan: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ()
Jordan: Jordan Ministry of Health (); Ministry of Health ()
Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan National Center for Public Health ()
Kenya: Kenya Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Kosovo: National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo ()
Kuwait: Kuwait Ministry of Health (); WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ()
Laos: Ministry of Health ()
Latvia: Center for Disease Prevention and Control ()
Lebanon: Lebanon Ministry of Health ()
Lesotho: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Liberia: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Libya: Libya National Centre for Disease Control ()
Liechtenstein: Federal Office of Public Health ()
Lithuania: Government of Lithuania ()
Luxembourg: Luxembourg Ministry of Health ()
Madagascar: Madagascar Ministry of Public Health (?cft[0]=AZVrMkcFpYCa4h233hWABnV2mUWEeivVb5nIUI7p6wJKjS98qT__kVl0BWKy4y5xEJRvjb-otGHPvR6QEwvL3FAcNTJqvtpgwLMzEOP_fNjBesboU36bSwTW4iRCWikxFvmw7x6W2H8JpWY5rRngCUSgWIhmyCT2QWhvIeSie9cgRAtweJ33x_sPyYHFjdhplXs&tn=EH-R); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Malawi: Public Health Institute of Malawi (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Malaysia: Malaysia Ministry of Health ()
Maldives: Maldives Ministry of Health (); Maldives Health Protection Agency ()
Mali: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Malta: COVID-19 Public Health Response Team (Ministry for Health) ()
Marshall Islands: Department of Health & Human Services ()
Mauritania: Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Mauritius: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Mexico: Health Secretary ()
Moldova: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova ()
Mongolia: Ministry of Health ()
Morocco: Morocco Ministry of Health (); Ministry of Health ()
Mozambique: Mozambique Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Myanmar: Ministry of Health ()
Namibia: Ministry of Health and Social Services (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Nepal: Ministry of Health and Population ()
Netherlands: Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment ()
New Zealand: Ministry of Health ()
Nicaragua: Ministry of Health ()
Niger: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Nigeria: Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
North Korea: Reuters (); WHO SEAR ()
North Macedonia: Ministry of Health ()
Northern Mariana Islands: Department of Health & Human Services ()
Norway: Norwegian Institute of Public Health ()
Oman: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ()
Pakistan: Government of Pakistan ()
Palau: Ministry of Health and Human Services ()
Palestine: Ministry of Health (); Tests carried out in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (); Ministry of Health ()
Panama: Panama Ministry of Health ()
Papua New Guinea: Ministry of Health ()
Paraguay: Paraguay Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (); Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare ()
Peru: National Institute of Health ()
Philippines: Philippines Department of Health ()
Poland: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) ()
Portugal: Ministry of Health ()
Puerto Rico: Department of Health & Human Services ()
Qatar: Qatar Ministry of Public Health ()
Romania: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) ()
Russia: Government of the Russian Federation ()
Rwanda: Rwanda Ministry of Health ()
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Ministry of Health ()
Saint Lucia: Ministry of Health and Wellness ()
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (); Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (Tue_Mar_15_2022.pdf)
Sao Tome and Principe: Ministry of Health ()
Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Health ()
Senegal: Ministry for Health and Social Action ()
Serbia: Ministry of Health ()
Sierra Leone: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Singapore: Ministry of Health Singapore ()
Slovakia: Ministry of Health ()
Slovenia: National Institute of Public Health ()
Somalia: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
South Africa: National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) ()
South Korea: Korea Disease Control and prevention Agency ()
South Sudan: Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Spain: Ministry of Health ()
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Health Promotion Bureau ()
Sudan: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Suriname: Directorate National Security ()
Sweden: Swedish Public Health Agency ()
Switzerland: Federal Office of Public Health ()
Syria: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (); WHO Syrian Arab Republic ()
Taiwan: Taiwan CDC Open Data Portal ()
Tanzania: Ministry of Health (,-2022)
Thailand: Department of Medical Sciences Ministry of Public Health ()
Timor: Ministry of Health ()
Togo: Ministry of Health ()
Trinidad and Tobago: Ministry of Health ()
Tunisia: Tunisia Ministry of Health ()
Turkey: Turkish Ministry of Health ()
Uganda: Uganda Ministry of Health (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Ukraine: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ()
United Arab Emirates: UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority ()
United Kingdom: Public Health England ()
United States: Department of Health & Human Services ()
United States Virgin Islands: Department of Health & Human Services ()
Uruguay: Ministry of Public Health ()
Vanuatu: Ministry of Health ()
Vietnam: Ministry of Health of Vietnam ()
Western Sahara: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()
Yemen: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ()
Zambia: Government of Zambia ()
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (); Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ()

How we process data at 凯撒娱乐

All data and visualizations on 凯撒娱乐 rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers. Preparing this original data involves several processing steps. Depending on the data, this can include standardizing country names and world region definitions, converting units, calculating derived indicators such as per capita measures, as well as adding or adapting metadata such as the name or the description given to an indicator.

At the link below you can find a detailed description of the structure of our data pipeline, including links to all the code used to prepare data across 凯撒娱乐.

Reuse this work

All data produced by third-party providers and made available by 凯撒娱乐 are subject to the license terms from the original providers. Our work would not be possible without the data providers we rely on, so we ask you to always cite them appropriately (see below). This is crucial to allow data providers to continue doing their work, enhancing, maintaining and updating valuable data.
All data, visualizations, and code produced by 凯撒娱乐 are completely open access under the . You have the permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited.

Citations

How to cite this page

To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by 凯撒娱乐, please use the following citation:

鈥淒ata Page: The share of COVID-19 tests that are positive鈥�. 凯撒娱乐 (2025). Data adapted from World Health Organization, Official data collated by 凯撒娱乐. Retrieved from /grapher/positive-rate-daily-smoothed [online resource]

How to cite this data

In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:

World Health Organization (2025); Official data collated by 凯撒娱乐 (2022) 鈥� with major processing by 凯撒娱乐

Full citation

World Health Organization (2025); Official data collated by 凯撒娱乐 (2022) 鈥� with major processing by 凯撒娱乐. 鈥淭he share of COVID-19 tests that are positive鈥� [dataset]. World Health Organization, 鈥淐OVID-19 Dashboard WHO COVID-19 Dashboard - Daily cases and deaths鈥�; Official data collated by 凯撒娱乐, 鈥淐OVID-19, testing鈥� [original data]. Retrieved April 28, 2025 from /grapher/positive-rate-daily-smoothed

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