South Africa vs Uganda: People without basic handwashing facilities
South Africa
33.69 million people
in 2020
Uganda
37.73 million people
in 2024
South Africa rank
12th
Uganda rank
11th
People without basic handwashing facilities over time
- South Africa
- Uganda
How they compare
Uganda currently reports 37.73 million people against 33.69 million people in South Africa, a difference of 4.04 million people.
That makes Uganda's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 2012 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 12th and Uganda ranks 11th of 120 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Uganda in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Uganda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31.88 million people | 31.70 million people | 181,962 people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 33.69 million people | 35.08 million people | 1.39 million people | Uganda |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people without basic handwashing facilities, South Africa or Uganda?
- Uganda, at 37.73 million people against 33.69 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people without basic handwashing facilities between South Africa and Uganda?
- 4.04 million people, with Uganda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Uganda?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and Uganda rank globally for people without basic handwashing facilities?
- South Africa ranks 12th and Uganda ranks 11th 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.