Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exhibits high genetic variability, having evolved intonine subtypes, hundreds of circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), and a series of unique recombinant forms(URFs). Due to significant differences in the genomic structure and regulatory genes among different strains, thediversity of HIV-1 subtypes can have important implications for virus transmission, disease progression, drugtherapy, vaccine development and other aspects. The global distribution of HIV-1 subtypes is extremely uneven, with China being one of the countries with the greatest variety of HIV-1 subtypes. Therefore, rapid and accurateHIV-1 typing is of great importance for the prevention and control of AIDS epidemic in China. This article aimsto review the research conducted by domestic and foreign scholars on HIV-1 subtype categories and distribution, typing methods, and the importance of typing, providing a reference basis for further research in this field.