China vs Pakistan: People using at least a basic drinking water source
China
1.39 billion people
in 2024
Pakistan
227.88 million people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Pakistan rank
5th
People using at least a basic drinking water source over time
- China
- Pakistan
How they compare
China currently reports 1.39 billion people against 227.88 million people in Pakistan, a difference of 1.16 billion people.
That makes China's figure about 6.1 times Pakistan's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Pakistan ranks 5th of 231 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.12 billion people | 153.22 million people | 964.33 million people | China |
| 2010s | 1.29 billion people | 192.93 million people | 1.10 billion people | China |
| 2020s | 1.38 billion people | 220.49 million people | 1.16 billion 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 Pakistan?
- China, at 1.39 billion people against 227.88 million people in Pakistan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least a basic drinking water source between China and Pakistan?
- 1.16 billion people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Pakistan?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and Pakistan rank globally for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- China ranks 2nd and Pakistan ranks 5th 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.