Nigeria vs South Africa: Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities
Nigeria
22.9%
in 2024
South Africa
27.5%
in 2020
Nigeria rank
80th
South Africa rank
77th
Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 27.5% against 22.9% in Nigeria, a difference of 4.6%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Nigeria's.
Across all 9 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 80th and South Africa ranks 77th of 113 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.9% | 27.5% | 4.6% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 22.9% | 27.5% | 4.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 27.5% against 22.9% in Nigeria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 4.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2020.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities?
- Nigeria ranks 80th and South Africa ranks 77th 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 Share of rural population with access to basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people with access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.