Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa

South Africa: Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities was 92.2 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
92.2
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
158th
of 231 countries
All-time high
92.2
in 2024
All-time low
75.06
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa, 2000–2024

0204060801002000201220242000: 75.12001: 75.92002: 76.72003: 77.52004: 78.32005: 79.12006: 79.92007: 80.72008: 81.42009: 82.22010: 82.92011: 83.72012: 84.42013: 85.12014: 85.82015: 86.52016: 87.22017: 87.82018: 88.52019: 89.12020: 89.82021: 90.42022: 912023: 91.62024: 92.2

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 92.2 for proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa peaked at 92.2 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 75.06, in 2000.

That places South Africa 158th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities (Sanitation) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 75.06
2001 75.87 +1.1%
2002 76.69 +1.1%
2003 77.51 +1.1%
2004 78.32 +1.0%
2005 79.11 +1.0%
2006 79.9 +1.0%
2007 80.67 +1.0%
2008 81.44 +0.9%
2009 82.19 +0.9%
2010 82.93 +0.9%
2011 83.66 +0.9%
2012 84.38 +0.9%
2013 85.09 +0.8%
2014 85.79 +0.8%
2015 86.47 +0.8%
2016 87.15 +0.8%
2017 87.82 +0.8%
2018 88.47 +0.7%
2019 89.12 +0.7%
2020 89.76 +0.7%
2021 90.38 +0.7%
2022 91 +0.7%
2023 91.61 +0.7%
2024 92.2 +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 78.68 75.06 82.19 10
2010s 86.09 82.93 89.12 10
2020s 90.99 89.76 92.2 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 155 Cambodia 92.61 compare
  2. 156 Brazil 92.5 compare
  3. 157 Russian Federation 92.22 compare
  4. 159 Republic of Moldova 91.8 compare
  5. 160 Georgia 91.53 compare
  6. 161 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 91.53 compare

See the full ranking of 292 places →

More population data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa?
Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa was 92.2 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 92.2 in 2024.
What is the lowest proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 75.06 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities?
South Africa ranks 158th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities (Sanitation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-using-improved-sanitation-facilities-sanitation/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population using improved sanitation facilities (Sanitation)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
292 places, 7,089 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed