Proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa
South Africa: Proportion of schools with no drinking water service was 3.06 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa, 2006–2021
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2021, proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa stood at 3.06. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of down 58.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa peaked at 9.41 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 3.06, in 2016.
South Africa ranks 93rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 9.41 | — |
| 2007 | 9.41 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9.41 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9.41 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8.43 | -10.4% |
| 2011 | 7.45 | -11.6% |
| 2012 | 6.47 | -13.2% |
| 2013 | 5.48 | -15.2% |
| 2014 | 4.5 | -17.9% |
| 2015 | 3.52 | -21.8% |
| 2016 | 3.06 | -13.2% |
| 2017 | 3.06 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3.06 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3.06 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.06 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3.06 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.41 | 9.41 | 9.41 | 4 |
| 2010s | 4.81 | 3.06 | 8.43 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.06 | 3.06 | 3.06 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 90 Belize 4.6 compare
- 91 Croatia 3.64
- 92 Chile 3.63 compare
- 94 Armenia 2.86
- 95 Russian Federation 2.84 compare
- 96 Syrian Arab Republic 2.2 compare
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa?
- Proportion of schools with no drinking water service in South Africa was 3.06 in 2021, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest proportion of schools with no drinking water service recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.41 in 2006.
- What is the lowest proportion of schools with no drinking water service recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.06 in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for proportion of schools with no drinking water service?
- South Africa ranks 93rd out of 176 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of schools with no drinking water service rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Proportion of schools with no drinking water service (Drinking Water). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).