Share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa
South Africa: Share of the population with access to sanitation facilities was 73.78 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa stood at 73.78. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa peaked at 73.78 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.39, in 2000.
That places South Africa 64th out of 150 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 with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.39 | — |
| 2001 | 47.99 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 48.61 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 49.22 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 49.82 | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 50.41 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 51 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 51.58 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 52.16 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.72 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 53.28 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 53.84 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.38 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 54.91 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 55.44 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 57.33 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 59.25 | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 61.22 | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 63.23 | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 65.28 | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 67.38 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 69.52 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 71.7 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 73.17 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 73.78 | +0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 73.78 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.93, 1.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 73.78 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.56, 3.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.09 | 47.39 | 52.72 | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.82 | 53.28 | 65.28 | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.11 | 67.38 | 73.78 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8824 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.23 (2100)
- Population density 77.75 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.55 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa?
- Share of the population with access to sanitation facilities in South Africa was 73.78 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with access to sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 73.78 in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population with access to sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.39 in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for share of the population with access to sanitation facilities?
- South Africa ranks 64th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with access to sanitation facilities rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. 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 with access to sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).