Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in China
China: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 3.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not 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 %.
Analysis
China recorded 3.7% for share of population not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 54.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in China peaked at 19.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2024.
China ranks 76th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.4% | 11.6% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.9% | 5.4% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.9% | 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 share of population not using improved drinking water sources in China?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in China was 3.7% 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 population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2024.
- How does China rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- China ranks 76th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.7%. 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 Share of population not 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
Proportion of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.