China vs India: Share of urban population using at least basic water services
China
97.3%
in 2024
India
97.1%
in 2024
China rank
110th
India rank
113th
Share of urban population using at least basic water services over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 97.3% against 97.1% in India, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 110th and India ranks 113th of 188 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 | 98.1% | 92.4% | 5.6% | China |
| 2010s | 97.7% | 94.8% | 2.9% | China |
| 2020s | 97.4% | 96.6% | 0.7% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of urban population using at least basic water services, China or India?
- China, at 97.3% against 97.1% in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of urban population using at least basic water services between China and India?
- 0.2%, with China 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 share of urban population using at least basic water services?
- China ranks 110th and India ranks 113th of 188 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 Share of urban population using at least basic water services. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.