Share of population using safely managed sanitation in China
China: Share of population using safely managed sanitation was 68.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using safely managed sanitation 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 %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of population using safely managed sanitation in China stood at 68.9%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 49.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using safely managed sanitation in China peaked at 68.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 2000.
That places China 70th out of 150 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.
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.4% | — |
| 2001 | 13.8% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 14.5% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 16.5% | +14.1% |
| 2004 | 18.7% | +13.1% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 23.4% | +11.4% |
| 2007 | 25.9% | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 28.5% | +10.1% |
| 2009 | 31.2% | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 34.0% | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 37.0% | +8.5% |
| 2012 | 39.9% | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 43.0% | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 46.2% | +7.4% |
| 2015 | 49.4% | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 52.8% | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 56.2% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 59.7% | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 63.2% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 64.6% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 67.2% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 68.4% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.9% | +0.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 68.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 52.9%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- China's 68.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.4%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.7% | 13.4% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.2% | 34.0% | 63.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.0% | 64.6% | 68.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
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 share of population using safely managed sanitation in China?
- Share of population using safely managed sanitation in China was 68.9% 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 share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 68.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 2000.
- How does China rank for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- China ranks 70th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using safely managed sanitation rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.1%. 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 Share of population using safely managed sanitation. 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
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.