China vs India: Drinking water usage in urban areas
China
1.30 million people
in 2024
India
858,136 people
in 2024
China rank
1st
India rank
3rd
Drinking water usage in urban areas over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1.30 million people against 858,136 people in India, a difference of 437,034 people.
That makes China's figure about 1.5 times India's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 188 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.93 million people | 903,859 people | 1.03 million people | China |
| 2010s | 1.89 million people | 921,548 people | 966,982 people | China |
| 2020s | 1.40 million people | 878,842 people | 519,566 people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher drinking water usage in urban areas, China or India?
- China, at 1.30 million people against 858,136 people in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in drinking water usage in urban areas between China and India?
- 437,034 people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for drinking water usage in urban areas?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Drinking water usage in urban areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.