Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China
China: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas was 0 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
0 people
World rank
97th
of 186 countries
All-time high
1.51 million people
in 2022
All-time low
0 people
in 2023
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China stood at 0 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China peaked at 1.51 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2023.
That places China 97th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 785,772 people | — |
| 2001 | 818,225 people | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 852,990 people | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 888,205 people | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 924,099 people | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 960,820 people | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 997,271 people | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 1.03 million people | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 1.07 million people | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.10 million people | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 1.14 million people | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 1.17 million people | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 1.21 million people | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 1.24 million people | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 1.28 million people | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.31 million people | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 1.35 million people | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 1.38 million people | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 1.41 million people | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 1.44 million people | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 1.47 million people | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.49 million people | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 1.51 million people | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 2024 | 0 people | — |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 156.93 people. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -100.0% | 1.51 million people | 0 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 942,760 people | 785,772 people | 1.10 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.29 million people | 1.14 million people | 1.44 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 895,020 people | 0 people | 1.51 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 94 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 51.23 people compare
- 95 Cook Islands 33.8 people compare
- 96 Tonga 21.18 people compare
- 97 Afghanistan 0 people compare
- 97 Albania 0 people compare
- 97 Andorra 0 people
- 97 Argentina 0 people compare
- 97 Armenia 0 people compare
- 97 Austria 0 people
- 97 Azerbaijan 0 people compare
- 97 Bangladesh 0 people compare
- 97 Belarus 0 people
- 97 Belgium 0 people
- 97 Bermuda 0 people
- 97 Bhutan 0 people compare
- 97 Bolivia 0 people compare
- 97 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 people compare
- 97 Brazil 0 people compare
- 97 Bulgaria 0 people
- 97 Cambodia 0 people compare
- 97 Canada 0 people
- 97 Cayman Islands 0 people
- 97 Chile 0 people compare
- 97 Cyprus 0 people
- 97 Czechia 0 people
- 97 Denmark 0 people
- 97 East Timor 0 people compare
- 97 Ecuador 0 people compare
- 97 Egypt 0 people compare
- 97 Estonia 0 people
- 97 Falkland Islands 0 people
- 97 Fiji 0 people compare
- 97 Finland 0 people
- 97 France 0 people
- 97 Germany 0 people
- 97 Gibraltar 0 people
- 97 Greece 0 people compare
- 97 Hong Kong 0 people
- 97 Hungary 0 people
- 97 Iceland 0 people
- 97 India 0 people compare
- 97 Iran 0 people compare
- 97 Ireland 0 people
- 97 Israel 0 people
- 97 Italy 0 people
- 97 Kazakhstan 0 people
- 97 Kuwait 0 people
- 97 Kyrgyzstan 0 people compare
- 97 Laos 0 people compare
- 97 Latvia 0 people
- 97 Lithuania 0 people
- 97 Luxembourg 0 people
- 97 Macao 0 people
- 97 Malaysia 0 people compare
- 97 Maldives 0 people compare
- 97 Malta 0 people
- 97 Mexico 0 people compare
- 97 Moldova 0 people
- 97 Monaco 0 people
- 97 Montenegro 0 people compare
- 97 Netherlands 0 people
- 97 New Zealand 0 people
- 97 North Korea 0 people
- 97 North Macedonia 0 people
- 97 Norway 0 people
- 97 Oman 0 people compare
- 97 Palau 0 people
- 97 Palestine 0 people compare
- 97 Paraguay 0 people compare
- 97 Poland 0 people
- 97 Portugal 0 people
- 97 Romania 0 people
- 97 Russia 0 people
- 97 Saint Barthelemy 0 people
- 97 Saint Martin (French part) 0 people
- 97 Singapore 0 people
- 97 Slovakia 0 people
- 97 Spain 0 people
- 97 Sri Lanka 0 people compare
- 97 Sweden 0 people
- 97 Switzerland 0 people
- 97 Thailand 0 people compare
- 97 Turkmenistan 0 people compare
- 97 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 people
- 97 Ukraine 0 people
- 97 United Arab Emirates 0 people
- 97 United Kingdom 0 people
- 97 United States 0 people
- 97 Uruguay 0 people compare
- 97 Uzbekistan 0 people
- 97 Vietnam 0 people compare
- 97 Zimbabwe 0 people compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China?
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in China was 0 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.51 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2023.
- How does China rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas?
- China ranks 97th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.