Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa

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

Latest (2024)
92.2
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
152nd
of 225 countries
All-time high
92.2
in 2024
All-time low
75.06
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of the 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: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa stood at 92.2. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the 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 152nd out of 225 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.

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

Annual values for Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities 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. 149 Cambodia 92.61 compare
  2. 150 Brazil 92.5 compare
  3. 151 Russian Federation 92.22 compare
  4. 153 Republic of Moldova 91.8 compare
  5. 154 Georgia 91.53 compare
  6. 155 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 91.53 compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More population data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa?
Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa was 92.2 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 92.2 in 2024.
What is the lowest share of the population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 75.06 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for share of the population using improved sanitation facilities?
South Africa ranks 152nd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-using-improved-sanitation-facilities/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed