Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exhibits high genetic variability, having evolved into nine 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, the diversity of HIV-1 subtypes can have important implications for virus transmission, disease progression, drug therapy, vaccine development, and other aspects. The distribution of HIV-1 subtypes in worldwide is extremely uneven, with China being one of the countries with the greatest variety of HIV-1 subtypes. Therefore, rapid and accurate HIV-1 typing is of great importance for the prevention and control of AIDS epidemic in China. This article aims to 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.