China vs India: People using at least basic sanitation facilities
China
1.40 billion people
in 2024
India
1.21 billion people
in 2024
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
People using at least basic sanitation facilities over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1.40 billion people against 1.21 billion people in India, a difference of 193.38 million people.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times India's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 232 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 864.94 million people | 312.93 million people | 552.01 million people | China |
| 2010s | 1.19 billion people | 738.87 million people | 446.15 million people | China |
| 2020s | 1.38 billion people | 1.11 billion people | 272.65 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least basic sanitation facilities, China or India?
- China, at 1.40 billion people against 1.21 billion people in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least basic sanitation facilities between China and India?
- 193.38 million people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 232 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using at least basic sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households.