People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa

South Africa: People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) was 94.6% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
94.6%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
44th
of 97 countries
All-time high
94.6%
in 2017
All-time low
83.5%
in 2000
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa, 2000–2017

0204060801002000200820172000: 83.52001: 83.52002: 84.22003: 84.92004: 85.62005: 86.32006: 872007: 87.72008: 88.42009: 892010: 89.72011: 90.42012: 91.12013: 91.82014: 92.52015: 93.22016: 93.92017: 94.6

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org).

Analysis

In 2017, people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa stood at 94.6%. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa peaked at 94.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 83.5%, in 2000.

South Africa ranks 44th of 97 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population): Q3 in South Africa, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 83.5%
2001 83.5% +0.0%
2002 84.2% +0.8%
2003 84.9% +0.8%
2004 85.6% +0.8%
2005 86.3% +0.8%
2006 87.0% +0.8%
2007 87.7% +0.8%
2008 88.4% +0.8%
2009 89.0% +0.8%
2010 89.7% +0.8%
2011 90.4% +0.8%
2012 91.1% +0.8%
2013 91.8% +0.8%
2014 92.5% +0.8%
2015 93.2% +0.7%
2016 93.9% +0.7%
2017 94.6% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 86.0% 83.5% 89.0% 10
2010s 92.1% 89.7% 94.6% 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 41 Guatemala 96.3% compare
  2. 42 Pakistan 94.8% compare
  3. 43 Algeria 94.6% compare
  4. 45 Mongolia 94.5% compare
  5. 46 Peru 93.7% compare
  6. 47 Gabon 92.7% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa?
People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa was 94.6% in 2017, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org).
What is the highest people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 94.6% in 2017.
What is the lowest people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 83.5% in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for people using at least basic drinking water services (% of)?
South Africa ranks 44th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), published as part of People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population): Q3. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-using-at-least-basic-drinking-water-services-percent-of-population-q3/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population): Q3
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
97 places, 1,672 data points, 2000–2017
Last refreshed