People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa

South Africa: People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) was 51.2% in 2017. ▬ Flat

Latest (2017)
51.2%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
57th
of 97 countries
All-time high
53.0%
in 2000
All-time low
51.2%
in 2017
Years of data
18
2000–2017

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

02040602000200820172000: 532001: 532002: 52.92003: 52.82004: 52.72005: 52.62006: 52.42007: 52.32008: 52.22009: 52.12010: 522011: 51.92012: 51.72013: 51.62014: 51.52015: 51.42016: 51.32017: 51.2

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for people using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa is 51.2%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa peaked at 53.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 51.2%, in 2017.

That places South Africa 57th out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban population): Q2 in South Africa, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 53.0%
2001 53.0% +0.0%
2002 52.9% -0.2%
2003 52.8% -0.2%
2004 52.7% -0.2%
2005 52.6% -0.2%
2006 52.4% -0.2%
2007 52.3% -0.2%
2008 52.2% -0.2%
2009 52.1% -0.2%
2010 52.0% -0.2%
2011 51.9% -0.2%
2012 51.7% -0.2%
2013 51.6% -0.2%
2014 51.5% -0.2%
2015 51.4% -0.2%
2016 51.3% -0.2%
2017 51.2% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 52.6% 52.1% 53.0% 10
2010s 51.6% 51.2% 52.0% 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 54 Angola 54.8% compare
  2. 55 Cameroon 52.2% compare
  3. 56 Burkina Faso 51.9% compare
  4. 58 India 50.6% compare
  5. 59 Afghanistan 50.0% compare
  6. 60 Mali 49.8% 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, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa?
People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa was 51.2% 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, urban  (% of urban) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 53.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest people using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 51.2% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for people using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban)?
South Africa ranks 57th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
Is people using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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, urban  (% of urban population): Q2. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-using-at-least-basic-sanitation-services-urban-percent-of-urban-population-q2/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-using-at-least-basic-sanitation-services-urban-percent-of-urban-population-q2/south-africa/">People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban) in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
People using at least basic sanitation services, urban  (% of urban population): Q2
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, 1,663 data points, 2000–2017
Last refreshed