South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Renewable freshwater resources per person
South Africa
718.2 cubic meters
in 2022
Zimbabwe
762.96 cubic meters
in 2022
South Africa rank
145th
Zimbabwe rank
142nd
Renewable freshwater resources per person over time
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
Zimbabwe currently reports 762.96 cubic meters against 718.2 cubic meters in South Africa, a difference of 44.76 cubic meters.
That makes Zimbabwe's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 62 years both countries report, Zimbabwe has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 145th and Zimbabwe ranks 142nd of 183 countries.
Zimbabwe has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,353 cubic meters | 2,759 cubic meters | 406.22 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 1970s | 1,776 cubic meters | 2,064 cubic meters | 287.79 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 1980s | 1,310 cubic meters | 1,454 cubic meters | 143.88 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 1990s | 1,019 cubic meters | 1,118 cubic meters | 99.16 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 2000s | 909.33 cubic meters | 985.17 cubic meters | 75.83 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 2010s | 802.5 cubic meters | 858.18 cubic meters | 55.68 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
| 2020s | 728.78 cubic meters | 776.21 cubic meters | 47.43 cubic meters | Zimbabwe |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher renewable freshwater resources per person, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe, at 762.96 cubic meters against 718.2 cubic meters in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in renewable freshwater resources per person between South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 44.76 cubic meters, with Zimbabwe ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and Zimbabwe rank globally for renewable freshwater resources per person?
- South Africa ranks 145th and Zimbabwe ranks 142nd 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.