China vs India: People using at least a basic drinking water source
China
1.39 billion people
in 2024
India
1.39 billion people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
People using at least a basic drinking water source over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 1.39 billion people against 1.39 billion people in China, a difference of 2.30 million people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 231 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 | 1.12 billion people | 944.95 million people | 172.60 million people | China |
| 2010s | 1.29 billion people | 1.18 billion people | 109.01 million people | China |
| 2020s | 1.38 billion people | 1.35 billion people | 31.84 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least a basic drinking water source, China or India?
- India, at 1.39 billion people against 1.39 billion people in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least a basic drinking water source between China and India?
- 2.30 million people, with India 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 people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st 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 using at least a basic drinking water source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using an improved drinking water source, which is either available on premises, or collection time is no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.