Drinking water service usage in South Africa
South Africa: Drinking water service usage was 68.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage 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
In 2024, drinking water service usage in South Africa stood at 68.0%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in South Africa peaked at 69.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 63.2%, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 103rd of 163 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 | 66.1% | 63.2% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.2% | 68.4% | 69.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.0% | 68.0% | 69.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 100 Trinidad and Tobago 69.4% compare
- 101 Algeria 69.0% compare
- 102 Wallis and Futuna 68.9% compare
- 104 Guyana 67.2% compare
- 105 North Korea 66.6% compare
- 106 Bhutan 65.6% compare
More environment data for South Africa
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 569.81 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 8.9 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 25.85 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 1.31 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 40 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1686 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 93.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.055 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1946 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 25.44 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in South Africa?
- Drinking water service usage in South Africa was 68.0% 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 drinking water service usage recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 69.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.2% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for drinking water service usage?
- South Africa ranks 103rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. 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 Drinking water service usage. 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 an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.