China vs Nigeria: People not using improved drinking water sources
China
53.02 million people
in 2024
Nigeria
32.13 million people
in 2024
China rank
1st
Nigeria rank
3rd
People not using improved drinking water sources over time
- China
- Nigeria
How they compare
China currently reports 53.02 million people against 32.13 million people in Nigeria, a difference of 20.89 million people.
That makes China's figure about 1.6 times Nigeria's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 231 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 203.87 million people | 57.27 million people | 146.60 million people | China |
| 2010s | 111.68 million people | 48.38 million people | 63.29 million people | China |
| 2020s | 60.57 million people | 36.18 million people | 24.39 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using improved drinking water sources, China or Nigeria?
- China, at 53.02 million people against 32.13 million people in Nigeria as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using improved drinking water sources between China and Nigeria?
- 20.89 million people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Nigeria?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and Nigeria rank globally for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- China ranks 1st and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 231 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People not using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.