China vs India: Share of population using safely managed sanitation
China
68.9%
in 2024
India
62.8%
in 2024
China rank
70th
India rank
73rd
Share of population using safely managed sanitation over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 68.9% against 62.8% in India, a difference of 6.1%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times India's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 70th and India ranks 73rd of 150 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 | 20.7% | 18.4% | 2.3% | China |
| 2010s | 48.2% | 41.3% | 6.8% | China |
| 2020s | 67.0% | 58.5% | 8.5% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population using safely managed sanitation, China or India?
- China, at 68.9% against 62.8% in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of population using safely managed sanitation between China and India?
- 6.1%, 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 share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- China ranks 70th and India ranks 73rd 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 Share of population using safely managed sanitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.