The number of AIDS-related deaths worldwide fell for the fifth year in a row last year, dropping 5.6 percent from 2010 and a full 24 percent compared to 2005, to 1.7 million people, the UN said Tuesday.

The number of people living with HIV meanwhile rose slightly to 34 million from 33.5 million in 2010, UNAIDS said in its annual report on the state of the global pandemic.