South Korea vs South Africa: People using at least basic sanitation facilities
South Korea
51.58 million people
in 2024
South Africa
49.53 million people
in 2024
South Korea rank
22nd
South Africa rank
24th
People using at least basic sanitation facilities over time
- South Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 51.58 million people against 49.53 million people in South Africa, a difference of 2.05 million people.
Across all 25 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 24th of 232 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.72 million people | 31.58 million people | 16.14 million people | South Korea |
| 2010s | 50.47 million people | 39.89 million people | 10.58 million people | South Korea |
| 2020s | 51.67 million people | 47.48 million people | 4.18 million people | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least basic sanitation facilities, South Korea or South Africa?
- South Korea, at 51.58 million people against 49.53 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least basic sanitation facilities between South Korea and South Africa?
- 2.05 million people, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and South Africa rank globally for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
- South Korea ranks 22nd 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.