Eswatini vs South Africa: Share of people practicing open defecation
Eswatini
0.4%
in 2024
South Africa
0.3%
in 2024
Eswatini rank
96th
South Africa rank
99th
Share of people practicing open defecation over time
- Eswatini
- South Africa
How they compare
Eswatini currently reports 0.4% against 0.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Eswatini's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Eswatini ahead.
Eswatini ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 99th of 232 countries.
Eswatini has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eswatini | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.7% | 8.8% | 8.9% | Eswatini |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 3.6% | 4.1% | Eswatini |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.4% | Eswatini |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of people practicing open defecation, Eswatini or South Africa?
- Eswatini, at 0.4% against 0.3% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of people practicing open defecation between Eswatini and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with Eswatini ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for share of people practicing open defecation?
- Eswatini ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 99th of 232 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of people practicing open defecation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of people who practice open defecation. This includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.