Madagascar vs South Africa: People without basic handwashing facilities
Madagascar
24.44 million people
in 2024
South Africa
33.69 million people
in 2020
Madagascar rank
15th
South Africa rank
12th
People without basic handwashing facilities over time
- Madagascar
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 33.69 million people against 24.44 million people in Madagascar, a difference of 9.25 million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Madagascar's.
Across all 9 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Madagascar ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 12th of 120 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Madagascar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 19.70 million people | 31.88 million people | 12.18 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 22.15 million people | 33.69 million people | 11.55 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people without basic handwashing facilities, Madagascar or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 33.69 million people against 24.44 million people in Madagascar as of 2020.
- What is the difference in people without basic handwashing facilities between Madagascar and South Africa?
- 9.25 million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2020.
- How do Madagascar and South Africa rank globally for people without basic handwashing facilities?
- Madagascar ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 12th of 120 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 without basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People without access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.