Russia vs South Africa: Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities

Russia
7.8%
in 2024
South Africa
7.8%
in 2024
Russia rank
75th
South Africa rank
74th

Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities over time

  • Russia
  • South Africa
10152025200020122024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 7.8% against 7.8% in Russia, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 23 shared years of data; in 2002 it was South Africa ahead.

Russia ranks 75th and South Africa ranks 74th of 232 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Russia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Russia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 17.9% 20.5% 2.6% South Africa
2010s 13.5% 13.9% 0.4% South Africa
2020s 9.0% 9.0% 0.0% Russia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population not using improved sanitation facilities, Russia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 7.8% against 7.8% in Russia as of 2024.
What is the difference in share of population not using improved sanitation facilities between Russia and South Africa?
0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Russia and South Africa?
23 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2024.
How do Russia and South Africa rank globally for share of population not using improved sanitation facilities?
Russia ranks 75th and South Africa ranks 74th of 232 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 population not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Share of population not using improved sanitation facilities
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.