Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services was 68 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa is 68 %, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa peaked at 70 % in 2017 and was at its lowest, 63 %, in 2000.
That places South Africa 80th out of 133 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 63 % | — |
| 2001 | 64 % | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 64 % | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 65 % | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 66 % | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 67 % | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 67 % | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 68 % | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 68 % | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 68 % | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 68 % | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 69 % | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 70 % | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 70 % | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 70 % | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 70 % | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 70 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 69 % | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 69 % | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 68 % | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66 % | 63 % | 68 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.2 % | 68 % | 70 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.2 % | 68 % | 70 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 20.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.012 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa?
- Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa was 68 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 70 % in 2017.
- What is the lowest percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 63 % in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services?
- South Africa ranks 80th out of 133 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.