Madagascar vs South Africa: Rural population without basic handwashing facilities
Madagascar
15.94 million people
in 2024
South Africa
14.34 million people
in 2020
Madagascar rank
14th
South Africa rank
17th
Rural population without basic handwashing facilities over time
- Madagascar
- South Africa
How they compare
Madagascar currently reports 15.94 million people against 14.34 million people in South Africa, a difference of 1.60 million people.
That makes Madagascar'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.
Madagascar ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 17th of 113 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Madagascar averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Madagascar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.01 million people | 14.35 million people | 342,338 people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 15.07 million people | 14.34 million people | 729,000 people | Madagascar |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population without basic handwashing facilities, Madagascar or South Africa?
- Madagascar, at 15.94 million people against 14.34 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population without basic handwashing facilities between Madagascar and South Africa?
- 1.60 million people, with Madagascar 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 rural population without basic handwashing facilities?
- Madagascar ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 17th of 113 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 Rural population 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.