Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita was 0.0028 people per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa is 0.0028 people per person, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 18.0% on the previous year and down 67.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0147 people per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.0028 people per person, in 2024.
That places South Africa 58th out of 182 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0147 people per person | — |
| 2001 | 0.0143 people per person | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 0.0139 people per person | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 0.0135 people per person | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 0.0131 people per person | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0127 people per person | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0122 people per person | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0118 people per person | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 0.0113 people per person | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0109 people per person | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0104 people per person | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 0.0099 people per person | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0094 people per person | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0089 people per person | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0084 people per person | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0079 people per person | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0074 people per person | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 0.0068 people per person | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 0.0063 people per person | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 0.0057 people per person | -8.9% |
| 2020 | 0.0051 people per person | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 0.0046 people per person | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 0.004 people per person | -12.9% |
| 2023 | 0.0034 people per person | -15.0% |
| 2024 | 0.0028 people per person | -18.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0028 people per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0001 people per person, 22.2× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0028 people per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0109 people per person, 25% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0128 people per person | 0.0109 people per person | 0.0147 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0081 people per person | 0.0057 people per person | 0.0104 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.004 people per person | 0.0028 people per person | 0.0051 people per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa?
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita in South Africa was 0.0028 people per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0147 people per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0028 people per person in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.1%. 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 Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.