Afghanistan vs China: People not using improved sanitation facilities
Afghanistan
13.39 million people
in 2024
China
12.25 million people
in 2024
Afghanistan rank
18th
China rank
19th
People not using improved sanitation facilities over time
- Afghanistan
- China
How they compare
Afghanistan currently reports 13.39 million people against 12.25 million people in China, a difference of 1.14 million people.
That makes Afghanistan's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was China ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 18th and China ranks 19th of 232 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.64 million people | 416.30 million people | 400.67 million people | China |
| 2010s | 15.98 million people | 185.92 million people | 169.94 million people | China |
| 2020s | 14.27 million people | 34.60 million people | 20.32 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using improved sanitation facilities, Afghanistan or China?
- Afghanistan, at 13.39 million people against 12.25 million people in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using improved sanitation facilities between Afghanistan and China?
- 1.14 million people, with Afghanistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and China?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Afghanistan and China rank globally for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Afghanistan ranks 18th and China ranks 19th 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 not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.