What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Guatemala and South Africa?

28,592 people, with South Africa ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Guatemala and South Africa?

25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.

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 People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Guatemala vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources

Guatemala

692,528 people

in 2024

South Africa

721,120 people

in 2024

Guatemala rank

53rd

South Africa rank

51st

People using improved drinking water sources over time

Guatemala
South Africa

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 721,120 people against 692,528 people in Guatemala, a difference of 28,592 people.

Across all 25 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Guatemala ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 51st of 231 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Guatemala	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
2000s	1.00 million people	1.74 million people	744,840 people	South Africa
2010s	889,161 people	1.22 million people	331,481 people	South Africa
2020s	740,305 people	830,134 people	89,829 people	South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher people using improved drinking water sources, Guatemala or South Africa?: South Africa, at 721,120 people against 692,528 people in Guatemala as of 2024.
What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Guatemala and South Africa?: 28,592 people, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Guatemala and South Africa?: 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Guatemala and South Africa rank globally for people using improved drinking water sources?: Guatemala ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 51st of 231 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 People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Guatemala vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/guatemala/south-africa/

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<a href="https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/guatemala/south-africa/">Guatemala vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: People using improved drinking water sources
Unit: people
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: 231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Number of people using only unimproved drinking water sources.