China vs United States: People using improved sanitation facilities
China
1.43 billion people
in 2024
United States
344.11 million people
in 2024
China rank
1st
United States rank
3rd
People using improved sanitation facilities over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 1.43 billion people against 344.11 million people in United States, a difference of 1.09 billion people.
That makes China's figure about 4.2 times United States's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 232 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 912.67 million people | 294.10 million people | 618.57 million people | China |
| 2010s | 1.23 billion people | 323.85 million people | 904.04 million people | China |
| 2020s | 1.41 billion people | 340.76 million people | 1.07 billion people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using improved sanitation facilities, China or United States?
- China, at 1.43 billion people against 344.11 million people in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using improved sanitation facilities between China and United States?
- 1.09 billion people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for people using improved sanitation facilities?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 232 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 using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using improved sanitation facilities, regardless of whether they are shared with other households.