Malawi vs South Africa: People not using improved sanitation facilities
Malawi
5.22 million people
in 2024
South Africa
4.99 million people
in 2024
Malawi rank
37th
South Africa rank
38th
People not using improved sanitation facilities over time
- Malawi
- South Africa
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 5.22 million people against 4.99 million people in South Africa, a difference of 224,370 people.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Malawi ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 38th of 232 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.17 million people | 10.48 million people | 307,495 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 8.25 million people | 7.73 million people | 513,703 people | Malawi |
| 2020s | 5.37 million people | 5.61 million people | 236,392 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using improved sanitation facilities, Malawi or South Africa?
- Malawi, at 5.22 million people against 4.99 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using improved sanitation facilities between Malawi and South Africa?
- 224,370 people, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Malawi ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 38th 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 not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.