China vs India: Number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking
China
159.41 million people
in 2023
India
335.07 million people
in 2023
China rank
3rd
India rank
1st
Number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 335.07 million people against 159.41 million people in China, a difference of 175.66 million people.
That makes India's figure about 2.1 times China's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 189 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 686.41 million people | 823.21 million people | 136.80 million people | India |
| 2010s | 410.60 million people | 687.29 million people | 276.69 million people | India |
| 2020s | 193.04 million people | 401.39 million people | 208.35 million people | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking, China or India?
- India, at 335.07 million people against 159.41 million people in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking between China and India?
- 175.66 million people, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking?
- China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 189 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization (via World Bank) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people without access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, and clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households.