South Africa vs Spain: People using improved sanitation facilities
South Africa
59.02 million people
in 2024
Spain
47.91 million people
in 2024
South Africa rank
22nd
Spain rank
25th
People using improved sanitation facilities over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 59.02 million people against 47.91 million people in Spain, a difference of 11.11 million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Spain ahead.
South Africa ranks 22nd and Spain ranks 25th of 232 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.83 million people | 43.64 million people | 4.82 million people | Spain |
| 2010s | 48.19 million people | 46.92 million people | 1.27 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 56.73 million people | 47.81 million people | 8.91 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using improved sanitation facilities, South Africa or Spain?
- South Africa, at 59.02 million people against 47.91 million people in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using improved sanitation facilities between South Africa and Spain?
- 11.11 million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for people using improved sanitation facilities?
- South Africa ranks 22nd and Spain ranks 25th 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 People using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using improved sanitation facilities, regardless of whether they are shared with other households.