India vs Nigeria: People in rural areas not using an improved water source
India
19.16 million people
in 2024
Nigeria
28.85 million people
in 2024
India rank
5th
Nigeria rank
3rd
People in rural areas not using an improved water source over time
- India
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 28.85 million people against 19.16 million people in India, a difference of 9.69 million people.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.5 times India's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was India ahead.
India ranks 5th and Nigeria ranks 3rd of 178 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 131.26 million people | 48.79 million people | 82.48 million people | India |
| 2010s | 79.53 million people | 40.67 million people | 38.86 million people | India |
| 2020s | 32.41 million people | 31.59 million people | 819,000 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, India or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 28.85 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 India and Nigeria?
- 9.69 million people, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Nigeria?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do India and Nigeria rank globally for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- India ranks 5th 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.