Share of population using safely managed sanitation in South Africa
South Africa: Share of population using safely managed sanitation was 73.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 73.8% for share of population using safely managed sanitation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using safely managed sanitation in South Africa peaked at 73.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.4%, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 64th of 150 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.1% | 47.4% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 53.3% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.1% | 67.4% | 73.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population using safely managed sanitation in South Africa?
- Share of population using safely managed sanitation in South Africa was 73.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 73.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- South Africa ranks 64th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using safely managed sanitation rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population using safely managed sanitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.