Malawi vs South Africa: Rural population without basic handwashing facilities
Malawi
15.42 million people
in 2024
South Africa
14.34 million people
in 2020
Malawi rank
16th
South Africa rank
17th
Rural population without basic handwashing facilities over time
- Malawi
- South Africa
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 15.42 million people against 14.34 million people in South Africa, a difference of 1.08 million people.
That makes Malawi's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 9 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 17th of 113 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.67 million people | 14.35 million people | 1.69 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 14.11 million people | 14.34 million people | 231,600 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population without basic handwashing facilities, Malawi or South Africa?
- Malawi, at 15.42 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 Malawi and South Africa?
- 1.08 million people, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2020.
- How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for rural population without basic handwashing facilities?
- Malawi ranks 16th 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) β 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.