Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre was 0.1758 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa is 0.1758 people per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of down 13.9% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.5711 people per square kilometre in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.1758 people per square kilometre, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 63rd of 182 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.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.5711 people per square kilometre | — |
| 2001 | 0.5604 people per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 0.5501 people per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.5396 people per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 0.5285 people per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 0.5167 people per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 0.5042 people per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 0.4912 people per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.4779 people per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 0.4639 people per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 0.4491 people per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 0.4336 people per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 0.4182 people per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 0.4025 people per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 0.3858 people per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 0.3692 people per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 0.3476 people per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 0.3241 people per square kilometre | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 0.303 people per square kilometre | -6.5% |
| 2019 | 0.2805 people per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 0.2566 people per square kilometre | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 0.2312 people per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2022 | 0.2043 people per square kilometre | -11.7% |
| 2023 | 0.1758 people per square kilometre | -13.9% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.1758 people per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0047 people per square kilometre, 37.4× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.1758 people per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5739 people per square kilometre, 31% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.5204 people per square kilometre | 0.4639 people per square kilometre | 0.5711 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3713 people per square kilometre | 0.2805 people per square kilometre | 0.4491 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.217 people per square kilometre | 0.1758 people per square kilometre | 0.2566 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 60 Tunisia 0.1959 people per square kilometre compare
- 61 Gambia 0.1882 people per square kilometre compare
- 62 Congo 0.182 people per square kilometre compare
- 64 Tanzania 0.1725 people per square kilometre compare
- 65 Yemen 0.1711 people per square kilometre compare
- 66 Peru 0.1671 people per square kilometre 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 sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.1758 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5711 people per square kilometre in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1758 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 63rd out of 182 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. 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 square kilometre. 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
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas divided by Land area (sq. km), 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 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
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
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.