Every global region has seen a steep rise in mobile phone subscriptions

Mobile phones have achieved what few technologies do: they’ve been adopted rapidly by people all over the world, in both rich and poor regions.

The chart shows how mobile subscriptions grew between 2000 and 2023. This is given per 100 people in each world region. If the number is over 100, it means some people own more than one mobile device. (This data doesn’t tell us the* percentage* of people with a phone, as some individuals own multiple devices.)

Mobile phone subscriptions have risen sharply everywhere in just a few decades. Even in the poorest parts of the world, like Sub-Saharan Africa, subscriptions grew from just 2 per 100 people to 89. In South Asia, they went from less than 1 to 84.

Still, this rise matters because mobile phones allow people to learn, connect, and build, even in places without physical infrastructure (like roads or banks). For example, mobile money systems enable people to save, send, and receive money without needing a bank branch or an Internet connection. This has helped millions improve their financial security.

Explore more data on mobile phone subscriptions →

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “Every global region has seen a steep rise in mobile phone subscriptions” by Simon van Teutem, published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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