This review provides the current data on statistical monitoring of the gonococcal infection incidence in the world as well as the literature data on the diseaese pattern and epidemiology of the gonococcal infection associated with the wide spread of non-traditional forms of sexual relations and sexual risk behavior. Key population groups contributing to dissemination of the infection in the general population are discussed. Modern types of epidemiological surveillance of the spread of the gonococcal infection are discribed: monitoring of sensitivity (resistance) of the Gonococcus to antimicrobial drugs and molecular monitoring with idetification of pathogenic sequence-types. Issues related to the problem of the spread of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance to IIIrd generation cephalosporins and the development of measures to counter this phenomenon are also discussed.