China vs India: Share of primary schools with access to drinking water
China
99.2%
in 2024
India
99.0%
in 2025
China rank
74th
India rank
76th
Share of primary schools with access to drinking water over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 99.2% against 99.0% in India, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 8 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 74th and India ranks 76th of 116 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 99.4% | 86.4% | 12.9% | China |
| 2020s | 99.4% | 96.5% | 2.9% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary schools with access to drinking water, China or India?
- China, at 99.2% against 99.0% in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of primary schools with access to drinking water between China and India?
- 0.2%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2016 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for share of primary schools with access to drinking water?
- China ranks 74th and India ranks 76th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary schools with access to drinking water. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of public primary schools with a drinking water facility or water delivery point that is designed to protect water from external contamination, particularly of fecal origin.