Sao Tome and Principe vs South Africa: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services
Sao Tome and Principe
73.4%
in 2024
South Africa
73.0%
in 2024
Sao Tome and Principe rank
135th
South Africa rank
136th
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services over time
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Africa
How they compare
Sao Tome and Principe currently reports 73.4% against 73.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 135th and South Africa ranks 136th of 178 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sao Tome and Principe | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 64.4% | 72.8% | 8.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 68.8% | 78.8% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 72.1% | 74.7% | 2.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services, Sao Tome and Principe or South Africa?
- Sao Tome and Principe, at 73.4% against 73.0% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services between Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with Sao Tome and Principe ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa rank globally for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 135th and South Africa ranks 136th of 178 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 Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.