People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) in South Africa
South Africa: People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) was 73.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa is 73.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa peaked at 73.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.4%, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 60th of 146 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.4% | — |
| 2001 | 48.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 48.6% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 49.2% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 49.8% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 50.4% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 51.0% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 51.6% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 52.2% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.7% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 53.3% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 53.8% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.4% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 55.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 59.3% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 63.2% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 65.3% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 67.4% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 69.5% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 71.7% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 73.2% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 73.8% | +0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 73.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.9%, 1.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 73.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.6%, 3.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.1% | 47.4% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 53.3% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.1% | 67.4% | 73.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa?
- People using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa was 73.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people using safely managed sanitation services recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 73.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using safely managed sanitation services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for people using safely managed sanitation services?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 146 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using safely managed sanitation services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. 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, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed of in situ or transported and treated offsite. Improved sanitation facilities include flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic tanks or pit latrines: ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.