Population using at least basic drinking-water services in South Africa

South Africa: Population using at least basic drinking-water services was 73.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
73.0%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
135th
of 177 countries
All-time high
80.6%
in 2014
All-time low
69.0%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Population using at least basic drinking-water services in South Africa, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 692001: 69.92002: 70.72003: 71.52004: 72.32005: 73.22006: 742007: 74.82008: 75.62009: 76.52010: 77.32011: 78.12012: 78.92013: 79.82014: 80.62015: 802016: 79.32017: 78.62018: 77.92019: 77.22020: 76.42021: 75.62022: 74.72023: 73.92024: 73

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 73.0% for population using at least basic drinking-water services in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population using at least basic drinking-water services in South Africa peaked at 80.6% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 69.0%, in 2000.

That places South Africa 135th out of 177 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 72.8% 69.0% 76.5% 10
2010s 78.8% 77.2% 80.6% 10
2020s 74.7% 73.0% 76.4% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 132 Eswatini 74.4% compare
  2. 133 Namibia 74.3% compare
  3. 134 Sao Tome and Principe 73.4% compare
  4. 136 Lesotho 70.6% compare
  5. 137 Liberia 70.3% compare
  6. 138 Malawi 70.1% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More environment data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is population using at least basic drinking-water services in South Africa?
Population using at least basic drinking-water services in South Africa was 73.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest population using at least basic drinking-water services recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 80.6% in 2014.
What is the lowest population using at least basic drinking-water services recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 69.0% in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for population using at least basic drinking-water services?
South Africa ranks 135th out of 177 countries with data for 2024.
Is population using at least basic drinking-water services rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Population using at least basic drinking-water services (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).

About this data

Indicator
Population using at least basic drinking-water services (%)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
185 places, 4,526 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed