Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa

South Africa: Share of the population using improved water sources wash was 97.65 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
97.65
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
136th
of 224 countries
All-time high
97.65
in 2024
All-time low
87.58
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa, 2000–2024

0204060801002000201220242000: 87.62001: 88.12002: 88.62003: 89.12004: 89.62005: 90.12006: 90.62007: 91.12008: 91.52009: 922010: 92.42011: 92.82012: 93.32013: 93.72014: 94.12015: 94.52016: 94.92017: 95.22018: 95.62019: 962020: 96.32021: 96.72022: 972023: 97.32024: 97.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa is 97.65, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa peaked at 97.65 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 87.58, in 2000.

That places South Africa 136th out of 224 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.

Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 87.58
2001 88.08 +0.6%
2002 88.6 +0.6%
2003 89.11 +0.6%
2004 89.61 +0.6%
2005 90.1 +0.5%
2006 90.58 +0.5%
2007 91.05 +0.5%
2008 91.51 +0.5%
2009 91.97 +0.5%
2010 92.41 +0.5%
2011 92.84 +0.5%
2012 93.27 +0.5%
2013 93.68 +0.4%
2014 94.09 +0.4%
2015 94.48 +0.4%
2016 94.87 +0.4%
2017 95.25 +0.4%
2018 95.62 +0.4%
2019 95.98 +0.4%
2020 96.33 +0.4%
2021 96.67 +0.4%
2022 97.01 +0.3%
2023 97.33 +0.3%
2024 97.65 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 89.82 87.58 91.97 10
2010s 94.25 92.41 95.98 10
2020s 97 96.33 97.65 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 133 Cuba 97.82 compare
  2. 134 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 97.73 compare
  3. 135 Seychelles 97.73 compare
  4. 137 Russian Federation 97.51 compare
  5. 138 Colombia 97.28 compare
  6. 139 Kyrgyzstan 97.2 compare

See the full ranking of 231 places →

More environment data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa?
Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa was 97.65 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population using improved water sources wash recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 97.65 in 2024.
What is the lowest share of the population using improved water sources wash recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 87.58 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for share of the population using improved water sources wash?
South Africa ranks 136th out of 224 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the population using improved water sources wash rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using improved water sources wash. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population using improved water sources wash in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-using-improved-water-sources-wash/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population using improved water sources wash
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed