South Africa vs Sudan: People using improved drinking water sources
South Africa
721,120 people
in 2024
Sudan
890,650 people
in 2024
South Africa rank
51st
Sudan rank
50th
People using improved drinking water sources over time
- South Africa
- Sudan
How they compare
Sudan currently reports 890,650 people against 721,120 people in South Africa, a difference of 169,530 people.
That makes Sudan's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, Sudan has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 51st and Sudan ranks 50th of 231 countries.
Sudan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.74 million people | 7.06 million people | 5.31 million people | Sudan |
| 2010s | 1.22 million people | 4.88 million people | 3.66 million people | Sudan |
| 2020s | 830,134 people | 1.91 million people | 1.08 million people | Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using improved drinking water sources, South Africa or Sudan?
- Sudan, at 890,650 people against 721,120 people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between South Africa and Sudan?
- 169,530 people, with Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sudan?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sudan rank globally for people using improved drinking water sources?
- South Africa ranks 51st and Sudan ranks 50th 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.