Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa
South Africa: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 2.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population 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 %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.4% for share of population not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 60.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa peaked at 12.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2024.
That places South Africa 91st out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.2% | 8.0% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 4.0% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 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 share of population not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in South Africa was 2.4% 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 share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- South Africa ranks 91st out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.2%. 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 Share of population 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
Proportion 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.