People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa
South Africa: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was -6.85 % change on previous year in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
South Africa recorded -6.85 % change on previous year for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 7.6% on the previous year and down 82.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa peaked at -2.86 % change on previous year in 2001 and was at its lowest, -6.85 % change on previous year, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 111th of 163 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -2.86 % change on previous year | — |
| 2002 | -2.98 % change on previous year | +4.2% |
| 2003 | -3.07 % change on previous year | +2.8% |
| 2004 | -3.15 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
| 2005 | -3.23 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
| 2006 | -3.32 % change on previous year | +2.8% |
| 2007 | -3.4 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 2008 | -3.42 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 2009 | -3.49 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2010 | -3.63 % change on previous year | +3.9% |
| 2011 | -3.71 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 2012 | -3.62 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 2013 | -3.6 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2014 | -3.76 % change on previous year | +4.4% |
| 2015 | -3.6 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 2016 | -4.81 % change on previous year | +33.8% |
| 2017 | -5.29 % change on previous year | +9.9% |
| 2018 | -4.53 % change on previous year | -14.3% |
| 2019 | -4.8 % change on previous year | +6.1% |
| 2020 | -5.1 % change on previous year | +6.2% |
| 2021 | -5.47 % change on previous year | +7.3% |
| 2022 | -5.92 % change on previous year | +8.1% |
| 2023 | -6.36 % change on previous year | +7.6% |
| 2024 | -6.85 % change on previous year | +7.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's -6.85 % change on previous year is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -6.34 % change on previous year, 1.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- South Africa's -6.85 % change on previous year is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3845 % change on previous year. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | -33.8% | -3.6 % change on previous year | -4.81 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -3.21 % change on previous year | -3.49 % change on previous year | -2.86 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 2010s | -4.13 % change on previous year | -5.29 % change on previous year | -3.6 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | -5.94 % change on previous year | -6.85 % change on previous year | -5.1 % change on previous year | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 108 Belarus -5.84 % change on previous year compare
- 109 Eswatini -6.45 % change on previous year compare
- 110 Dominican Republic -6.83 % change on previous year compare
- 112 Mauritius -7.36 % change on previous year compare
- 113 Moldova -7.38 % change on previous year compare
- 114 Colombia -7.47 % change on previous year compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa?
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in South Africa was -6.85 % change on previous year in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was -2.86 % change on previous year in 2001.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.85 % change on previous year in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
- South Africa ranks 111th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.