China vs United States: Inland waters — Area

China
17,531 1000 ha
in 2024
United States
68,409 1000 ha
in 2024
China rank
8th
United States rank
5th

Inland waters — Area over time

  • China
  • United States
20.0k40.0k60.0k196119922024

How they compare

United States currently reports 68,409 1000 ha against 17,531 1000 ha in China, a difference of 50,878 1000 ha.

That makes United States's figure about 3.9 times China's.

Across all 64 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.

China ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 188 countries.

United States has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States Difference Ahead
1960s 17,530 1000 ha 47,013 1000 ha 29,483 1000 ha United States
1970s 17,531 1000 ha 47,013 1000 ha 29,482 1000 ha United States
1980s 17,533 1000 ha 47,013 1000 ha 29,480 1000 ha United States
1990s 17,531 1000 ha 47,013 1000 ha 29,482 1000 ha United States
2000s 17,530 1000 ha 51,291 1000 ha 33,761 1000 ha United States
2010s 17,531 1000 ha 68,409 1000 ha 50,878 1000 ha United States
2020s 17,531 1000 ha 68,409 1000 ha 50,878 1000 ha United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher inland waters — area, China or United States?
United States, at 68,409 1000 ha against 17,531 1000 ha in China as of 2024.
What is the difference in inland waters — area between China and United States?
50,878 1000 ha, with United States ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
64 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2024.
How do China and United States rank globally for inland waters — area?
China ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 188 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Inland waters — Area. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States: Inland waters — Area. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/inland-waters-area/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Inland waters — Area
Unit
1000 ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
220 places, 12,677 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.