People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 in South Africa

South Africa: People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 was 55.5% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
55.5%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
53rd
of 97 countries
All-time high
58.7%
in 2000
All-time low
55.5%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 in South Africa, 2000–2017

02040602000200820172000: 58.72001: 58.72002: 58.52003: 58.32004: 58.12005: 57.92006: 57.72007: 57.52008: 57.32009: 57.12010: 56.92011: 56.72012: 56.52013: 56.32014: 56.12015: 55.92016: 55.72017: 55.5

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

Analysis

In 2017, people using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3 in South Africa stood at 55.5%. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3 in South Africa peaked at 58.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 55.5%, in 2017.

That places South Africa 53rd out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 in South Africa, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 58.7%
2001 58.7% +0.0%
2002 58.5% -0.3%
2003 58.3% -0.3%
2004 58.1% -0.3%
2005 57.9% -0.3%
2006 57.7% -0.3%
2007 57.5% -0.3%
2008 57.3% -0.3%
2009 57.1% -0.3%
2010 56.9% -0.4%
2011 56.7% -0.4%
2012 56.5% -0.4%
2013 56.3% -0.4%
2014 56.1% -0.4%
2015 55.9% -0.4%
2016 55.7% -0.4%
2017 55.5% -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 58.0% 57.1% 58.7% 10
2010s 56.2% 55.5% 56.9% 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 50 Senegal 62.0% compare
  2. 51 Yemen 60.5% compare
  3. 52 Mongolia 59.4% compare
  4. 54 Lesotho 54.0% compare
  5. 55 Nepal 53.1% compare
  6. 56 Bangladesh 49.2% 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 sanitation services (% of population): q3 in South Africa?
People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3 in South Africa was 55.5% 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 sanitation services (% of population): q3 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 58.7% in 2000.
What is the lowest people using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 55.5% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for people using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3?
South Africa ranks 53rd out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): q3 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. 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 (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), published as part of People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People using at least basic sanitation services (% of population): Q3 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-sanitation-services-percent-of-population-q3/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
People using at least basic sanitation 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