Nepal vs South Africa: People using improved drinking water sources
Nepal
709,243 people
in 2024
South Africa
721,120 people
in 2024
Nepal rank
52nd
South Africa rank
51st
People using improved drinking water sources over time
- Nepal
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 721,120 people against 709,243 people in Nepal, a difference of 11,877 people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Nepal ahead.
Nepal ranks 52nd and South Africa ranks 51st of 231 countries.
Nepal has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nepal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.36 million people | 1.74 million people | 1.61 million people | Nepal |
| 2010s | 2.04 million people | 1.22 million people | 818,510 people | Nepal |
| 2020s | 1.00 million people | 830,134 people | 171,784 people | Nepal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using improved drinking water sources, Nepal or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 721,120 people against 709,243 people in Nepal as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Nepal and South Africa?
- 11,877 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nepal and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Nepal and South Africa rank globally for people using improved drinking water sources?
- Nepal ranks 52nd 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using only unimproved drinking water sources.