Ethiopia vs India: People in rural areas not using an improved water source
Ethiopia
21.08 million people
in 2024
India
19.16 million people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
4th
India rank
5th
People in rural areas not using an improved water source over time
- Ethiopia
- India
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 21.08 million people against 19.16 million people in India, a difference of 1.92 million people.
That makes Ethiopia's figure about 1.1 times India's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was India ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 4th and India ranks 5th of 178 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.38 million people | 131.26 million people | 83.88 million people | India |
| 2010s | 38.06 million people | 79.53 million people | 41.47 million people | India |
| 2020s | 25.38 million people | 32.41 million people | 7.03 million people | India |
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, Ethiopia or India?
- Ethiopia, at 21.08 million people against 19.16 million people in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people in rural areas not using an improved water source between Ethiopia and India?
- 1.92 million people, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and India?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Ethiopia and India rank globally for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Ethiopia ranks 4th and India ranks 5th 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.