Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa

South Africa: Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources was 96.94 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
96.94
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
84th
of 172 countries
All-time high
96.94
in 2016
All-time low
90.59
in 2006
Years of data
16
2006–2021

Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa, 2006–2021

0204060801002006201320212006: 90.62007: 90.62008: 90.62009: 90.62010: 91.62011: 92.62012: 93.52013: 94.52014: 95.52015: 96.52016: 96.92017: 96.92018: 96.92019: 96.92020: 96.92021: 96.9

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa is 96.94, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa peaked at 96.94 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 90.59, in 2006.

South Africa ranks 84th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources (Drinking Water) in South Africa, 2006 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2006 90.59
2007 90.59 +0.0%
2008 90.59 +0.0%
2009 90.59 +0.0%
2010 91.57 +1.1%
2011 92.55 +1.1%
2012 93.53 +1.1%
2013 94.52 +1.0%
2014 95.5 +1.0%
2015 96.48 +1.0%
2016 96.94 +0.5%
2017 96.94 +0.0%
2018 96.94 +0.0%
2019 96.94 +0.0%
2020 96.94 +0.0%
2021 96.94 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 90.59 90.59 90.59 4
2010s 95.19 91.57 96.94 10
2020s 96.94 96.94 96.94 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 81 Syria 97.8 compare
  2. 82 Russia 97.16 compare
  3. 83 Armenia 97.14
  4. 85 Chile 96.37 compare
  5. 86 Croatia 96.36
  6. 87 Belize 95.4 compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa?
Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa was 96.94 in 2021, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 96.94 in 2016.
What is the lowest proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 90.59 in 2006.
How does South Africa rank for proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources?
South Africa ranks 84th out of 172 countries with data for 2021.
Is proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources (Drinking Water). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-schools-with-improved-drinking-water-sources-drinking-water/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of schools with improved drinking water sources (Drinking Water)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
233 places, 4,634 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed