Sanitation facilities usage in South Africa
South Africa: Sanitation facilities usage was 73.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Sanitation facilities usage in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, sanitation facilities usage in South Africa stood at 73.8%. 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, sanitation facilities usage in South Africa peaked at 73.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.4%, 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.
Sanitation facilities usage in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.4% | — |
| 2001 | 48.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 48.6% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 49.2% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 49.8% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 50.4% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 51.0% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 51.6% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 52.2% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.7% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 53.3% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 53.8% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.4% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 55.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 59.3% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 63.2% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 65.3% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 67.4% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 69.5% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 71.7% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 73.2% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 73.8% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.1% | 47.4% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 53.3% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.1% | 67.4% | 73.8% | 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)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 77.75 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in South Africa?
- Sanitation facilities usage in South Africa was 73.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sanitation facilities usage recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 73.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- South Africa ranks 64th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage 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 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Sanitation facilities usage. 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).
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.