Iraq vs South Africa: People using at least basic sanitation facilities
Iraq
45.35 million people
in 2024
South Africa
49.53 million people
in 2024
Iraq rank
26th
South Africa rank
24th
People using at least basic sanitation facilities over time
- Iraq
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 49.53 million people against 45.35 million people in Iraq, a difference of 4.18 million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Iraq ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 232 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.57 million people | 31.58 million people | 11.01 million people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 33.36 million people | 39.89 million people | 6.53 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 43.41 million people | 47.48 million people | 4.07 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least basic sanitation facilities, Iraq or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 49.53 million people against 45.35 million people in Iraq as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least basic sanitation facilities between Iraq and South Africa?
- 4.18 million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Iraq and South Africa rank globally for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
- Iraq ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th 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 at least basic 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 that are not shared with other households.