Drinking water services in China
China: Drinking water services was 1.30 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Drinking water services in China, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, drinking water services in China stood at 1.30 million people.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and down 88.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water services in China peaked at 33.34 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.28 million people, in 2023.
That places China 21st out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drinking water services in China, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.34 million people | — |
| 2001 | 33.03 million people | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 32.64 million people | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 32.21 million people | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 31.77 million people | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 29.50 million people | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 27.31 million people | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 25.10 million people | -8.1% |
| 2008 | 22.94 million people | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 20.84 million people | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 18.81 million people | -9.8% |
| 2011 | 16.84 million people | -10.5% |
| 2012 | 14.93 million people | -11.3% |
| 2013 | 13.09 million people | -12.4% |
| 2014 | 11.29 million people | -13.7% |
| 2015 | 9.54 million people | -15.5% |
| 2016 | 7.85 million people | -17.7% |
| 2017 | 6.22 million people | -20.7% |
| 2018 | 4.65 million people | -25.3% |
| 2019 | 3.14 million people | -32.5% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million people | -46.2% |
| 2021 | 1.47 million people | -12.6% |
| 2022 | 1.38 million people | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 1.28 million people | -7.3% |
| 2024 | 1.30 million people | +1.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.30 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,292 people, 244.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drinking water services in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -46.2% | 3.14 million people | 1.69 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.87 million people | 20.84 million people | 33.34 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.63 million people | 3.14 million people | 18.81 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.42 million people | 1.28 million people | 1.69 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.2517 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water services in China?
- Drinking water services in China was 1.30 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water services recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 33.34 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest drinking water services recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 million people in 2023.
- How does China rank for drinking water services?
- China ranks 21st out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water services rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 88.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.