China vs Ethiopia: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities
China
449.06 million people
in 2024
Ethiopia
121.43 million people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Ethiopia rank
4th
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities over time
- China
- Ethiopia
How they compare
China currently reports 449.06 million people against 121.43 million people in Ethiopia, a difference of 327.63 million people.
That makes China's figure about 3.7 times Ethiopia's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 150 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Ethiopia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.05 billion people | 74.87 million people | 977.81 million people | China |
| 2010s | 730.78 million people | 96.93 million people | 633.85 million people | China |
| 2020s | 477.54 million people | 115.98 million people | 361.56 million people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using safely managed sanitation facilities, China or Ethiopia?
- China, at 449.06 million people against 121.43 million people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using safely managed sanitation facilities between China and Ethiopia?
- 327.63 million people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Ethiopia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and Ethiopia rank globally for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- China ranks 2nd and Ethiopia ranks 4th of 150 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 safely managed sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People not using safely managed sanitation services might practice open defecation, use unimproved sanitation facilities, or use improved facilities that do not safely manage human waste.