Share of the population using improved water sources in China
China: Share of the population using improved water sources was 96.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population using improved 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 %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of the population using improved water sources in China stood at 96.3%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using improved water sources in China peaked at 96.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 81.0%, in 2000.
That places China 156th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the population using improved water sources 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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using improved water sources in China?
- Share of the population using improved water sources 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 share of the population using improved water sources recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 96.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population using improved water sources recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.0% in 2000.
- How does China rank for share of the population using improved water sources?
- China ranks 156th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using improved water sources 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 Share of the population using improved 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
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.