Population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa
South Africa: Population using safely managed drinking-water services was 50.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
50.8%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
36th
of 85 countries
All-time high
51.9%
in 2021
All-time low
27.9%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 50.8% for population using safely managed drinking-water services in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa peaked at 51.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 2000.
That places South Africa 36th out of 85 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.
Population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.9% | — |
| 2001 | 28.2% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 29.2% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 30.3% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 31.4% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 32.5% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 33.7% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 34.8% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 36.0% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 37.2% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 38.3% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 39.6% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 40.8% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 42.0% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 43.3% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 44.6% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 45.9% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 47.2% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 48.5% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 49.9% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 51.3% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 51.9% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 51.6% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 51.2% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 50.8% | -0.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 50.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 46.1%, 1.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 50.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 4.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.1% | 27.9% | 37.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.0% | 38.3% | 49.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.4% | 50.8% | 51.9% | 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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa?
- Population using safely managed drinking-water services in South Africa was 50.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest population using safely managed drinking-water services recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 51.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest population using safely managed drinking-water services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for population using safely managed drinking-water services?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 85 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population using safely managed drinking-water services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. 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 safely managed 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).