People using improved drinking water sources in China
China: People using improved drinking water sources was 51.73 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People using improved drinking water sources 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
The most recent figure for people using improved drinking water sources in China is 51.73 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using improved drinking water sources in China peaked at 212.32 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 51.73 million people, in 2024.
China ranks 1st of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People using improved drinking water sources in China, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 212.32 million people | — |
| 2001 | 210.00 million people | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 199.00 million people | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 188.10 million people | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 177.38 million people | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 168.77 million people | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 160.45 million people | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 152.41 million people | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 144.58 million people | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 137.04 million people | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 129.72 million people | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 122.71 million people | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 116.02 million people | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 109.56 million people | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 103.27 million people | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 97.15 million people | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 91.25 million people | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 85.63 million people | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 80.19 million people | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 74.92 million people | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 69.86 million people | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 63.81 million people | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 57.95 million people | -9.2% |
| 2023 | 52.40 million people | -9.6% |
| 2024 | 51.73 million people | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 175.01 million people | 137.04 million people | 212.32 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 101.04 million people | 74.92 million people | 129.72 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.15 million people | 51.73 million people | 69.86 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)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export quantity, annual growth rate 37.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export quantity, per capita 0.0001 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export value, annual growth rate 10.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export value, per capita 0.0001 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Wood-based panels — Import quantity, annual growth rate 6.32 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using improved drinking water sources in China?
- People using improved drinking water sources in China was 51.73 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 people using improved drinking water sources recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 212.32 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people using improved drinking water sources recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.73 million people in 2024.
- How does China rank for people using improved drinking water sources?
- China ranks 1st out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 People using improved drinking water sources. 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 only unimproved drinking water sources.