People not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa
South Africa: People not using improved drinking water sources was 1.51 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources 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 people.
Analysis
In 2024, people not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa stood at 1.51 million people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.8% on the previous year and down 54.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa peaked at 5.86 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.51 million people, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 45th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.00 million people | 4.16 million people | 5.86 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.19 million people | 2.40 million people | 3.97 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.87 million people | 1.51 million people | 2.22 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 people not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa was 1.51 million people 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 people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.86 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.51 million people in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- South Africa ranks 45th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 People not using improved drinking water sources. 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
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.