The need to discover factors that promote the health of patients who are HIV positive is becoming a matter of great importance in view of the increasing morbidity, mortality, and financial loss associated with this disease. Thus, the demographic and socioeconomic factors affecting the clinical and laboratory stages of HIV infection were studied among patients attending the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a period of 13 months. A total of one hundred and sixty-five HIV positive patients within the age range of 21-66 years were recruited for the study. Fifty HIV negative patients, sex and age matched, served as controls in the comparison of their demographic and socioeconomic factors with those of the HIV positive patients. The haemotological parameters such as the CD4 count and absolute lymphocyte count were determined using standard haematological techniques as described in the manufacturers manual and practical haematology by Dacie and lewis. The history and clinical findings and other laboratory results were documented in a proforma. A questionnaire was administered to the patients to assess their socioeconomic class and their demographic factors and the subjects were grouped into the clinical and laboratory categories based on the clinical features and laboratory results. Statistical analysis of data was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and statistical significance of data was based on P value of less than 0.05. Significant agreement was observed between clinical stage and CD4 count (P.value 0.00). The average CD4 count for each stage of the HIV infection was found to be 481.9, 388.7, 1 208.7 and 123.1 for stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, irrespective of age, sex and socio economic status. Statistically significant positive correlation was also observed between the socioeconomic class and the stages of HIV infection (p-value 0.001), with majority of the patients in socio economic class 1 (SEC1), which are the high socioeconomic class being found in clinical stage 1. Most of the SEC 3 and 4 which are the low socioeconomic class group were found in late stages of HIV infection irrespective of CD4 count. There was significant positive correlation (P. value 0.000) between absolute lymphocyte count and CD4 count. Majority of the patients with absolute lymphocyte count less than 1000/mm3 had CD4 count < 200cells/µ .There was however no statistically significant correlation between the other socio-demographic parameters such as age, sex, religion, education, marital status, occupation, income etc, (with average p-value > 0.100), and the clinical stage of HIV infection at which these patients presented. From this study, it was found that the clinical stage of HIV patients correspond to the CD4 count of the patients. Thus the clinical stage of HIV patients can be used as criteria to commence antiretroviral drugs in centres where the laboratory facility for CD4 or personnel is not available or where it is expensive. It was also found that the socioeconomic status affected the clinical stage of these HIV-infected patients. Irrespective of the CD4 count, patients with low socioeconomic status were associated with more serious HIV related illnesses than those with high socioeconomic status. It can be concluded from this study that i) a better socioeconomic status of the populace (especially people living with HIV infection) may reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the infection. It will also bring a marked reduction in the number of patients that may need antiretroviral drugs. ii) Patients with clinical stage 3 disease which corresponds to CD4 count <350 cells/ul in this study can be commenced on antiretroviral drugs in the absence of a CD4 count. iii) The use of total lymphocyte count of <1000/mm3 as a surrogate for CD4 count <200 cells/µl, not on its own, but in addition to the clinical stage is valid.