China vs Nigeria: People in rural areas not using an improved water source
China
30.67 million people
in 2024
Nigeria
28.85 million people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Nigeria rank
3rd
People in rural areas not using an improved water source over time
- China
- Nigeria
How they compare
China currently reports 30.67 million people against 28.85 million people in Nigeria, a difference of 1.82 million people.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 178 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 | 196.01 million people | 48.79 million people | 147.22 million people | China |
| 2010s | 96.70 million people | 40.67 million people | 56.03 million people | China |
| 2020s | 39.41 million people | 31.59 million people | 7.82 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people in rural areas not using an improved water source, China or Nigeria?
- China, at 30.67 million people against 28.85 million people in Nigeria as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people in rural areas not using an improved water source between China and Nigeria?
- 1.82 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 in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- China ranks 2nd and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 178 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 People in rural areas not using an improved 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 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.