Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita was 96.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita 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 %.
Analysis
China recorded 96.3% for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 96.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 81.0%, in 2000.
China ranks 156th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 81.0% | — |
| 2001 | 81.3% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 82.3% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 83.3% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 84.2% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 85.1% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 86.0% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 86.8% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 87.7% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 88.4% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 89.2% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 89.9% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 90.6% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 91.3% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 91.9% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 92.5% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 93.1% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 93.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 94.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 94.6% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 95.1% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 95.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 95.9% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 96.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 96.3% | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 96.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 98.8%, 98% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 96.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.8%, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 84.6% | 81.0% | 88.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.1% | 89.2% | 94.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.8% | 95.1% | 96.3% | 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 using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in China was 96.3% 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 using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 96.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.0% in 2000.
- How does China rank for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 156th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.