People using at least a basic drinking water source in China
China: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 1.39 billion people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least a basic drinking water source 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
China recorded 1.39 billion people for people using at least a basic drinking water source in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in China peaked at 1.39 billion people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.04 billion people, in 2000.
That places China 2nd out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.12 billion people | 1.04 billion people | 1.20 billion people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.29 billion people | 1.22 billion people | 1.35 billion people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.38 billion people | 1.36 billion people | 1.39 billion people | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 15,536 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 11.03 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 498.98 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 32.75 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 736.76 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 3.9 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1,485 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 4.13 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 5.54 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 195.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least a basic drinking water source in China?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in China was 1.39 billion 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 at least a basic drinking water source recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.39 billion people in 2023.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.04 billion people in 2000.
- How does China rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- China ranks 2nd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. 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 People using at least a basic drinking water source. 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 an improved drinking water source, which is either available on premises, or collection time is no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.