Rwanda vs South Africa: Renewable freshwater resources per person
Rwanda
695.92 cubic meters
in 2022
South Africa
718.2 cubic meters
in 2022
Rwanda rank
146th
South Africa rank
145th
Renewable freshwater resources per person over time
- Rwanda
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 718.2 cubic meters against 695.92 cubic meters in Rwanda, a difference of 22.28 cubic meters.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 62 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Rwanda ahead.
Rwanda ranks 146th and South Africa ranks 145th of 183 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Rwanda averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Rwanda | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,766 cubic meters | 2,353 cubic meters | 412.95 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 1970s | 2,099 cubic meters | 1,776 cubic meters | 322.55 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 1980s | 1,537 cubic meters | 1,310 cubic meters | 226.87 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 1990s | 1,303 cubic meters | 1,019 cubic meters | 284.23 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 1,060 cubic meters | 909.33 cubic meters | 150.32 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 2010s | 828.48 cubic meters | 802.5 cubic meters | 25.97 cubic meters | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 711.45 cubic meters | 728.78 cubic meters | 17.34 cubic meters | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher renewable freshwater resources per person, Rwanda or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 718.2 cubic meters against 695.92 cubic meters in Rwanda as of 2022.
- What is the difference in renewable freshwater resources per person between Rwanda and South Africa?
- 22.28 cubic meters, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Rwanda and South Africa?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2022.
- How do Rwanda and South Africa rank globally for renewable freshwater resources per person?
- Rwanda ranks 146th and South Africa ranks 145th of 183 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Renewable freshwater resources per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Renewable internal freshwater resources refers to the quantity of internal freshwater from inflowing river basins and recharging groundwater aquifers. This is measured in cubic meters per person per year.