Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions was 55.32 per 100 people in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960–2011
Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database. Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 55.32 per 100 people for fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in 2011. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.1% on the previous year and up 1,306.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 55.32 per 100 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.5078 per 100 people, in 1960.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | per 100 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.5078 per 100 people | — |
| 1970 | 0.6288 per 100 people | +23.8% |
| 1975 | 0.7134 per 100 people | +13.4% |
| 1976 | 0.7045 per 100 people | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 0.7375 per 100 people | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 0.8002 per 100 people | +8.5% |
| 1979 | 0.8349 per 100 people | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 0.8664 per 100 people | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 0.7109 per 100 people | -17.9% |
| 1982 | 0.7418 per 100 people | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 0.7743 per 100 people | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 0.7872 per 100 people | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 0.8145 per 100 people | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8618 per 100 people | +5.8% |
| 1987 | 0.8853 per 100 people | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 0.9183 per 100 people | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 0.958 per 100 people | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 1 per 100 people | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 1.02 per 100 people | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 1.02 per 100 people | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.04 per 100 people | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 1.14 per 100 people | +8.8% |
| 1995 | 1.22 per 100 people | +7.2% |
| 1996 | 1.35 per 100 people | +10.8% |
| 1997 | 1.58 per 100 people | +17.5% |
| 1998 | 1.95 per 100 people | +23.3% |
| 1999 | 2.43 per 100 people | +24.6% |
| 2000 | 3.13 per 100 people | +28.5% |
| 2001 | 3.93 per 100 people | +25.8% |
| 2002 | 5.07 per 100 people | +28.8% |
| 2003 | 6.52 per 100 people | +28.6% |
| 2004 | 9.01 per 100 people | +38.3% |
| 2005 | 13.65 per 100 people | +51.5% |
| 2006 | 19.53 per 100 people | +43.1% |
| 2007 | 25.06 per 100 people | +28.3% |
| 2008 | 33.92 per 100 people | +35.4% |
| 2009 | 39.99 per 100 people | +17.9% |
| 2010 | 47.23 per 100 people | +18.1% |
| 2011 | 55.32 per 100 people | +17.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5078 per 100 people | 0.5078 per 100 people | 0.5078 per 100 people | 1 |
| 1970s | 0.7365 per 100 people | 0.6288 per 100 people | 0.8349 per 100 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.8318 per 100 people | 0.7109 per 100 people | 0.958 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.38 per 100 people | 1 per 100 people | 2.43 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.98 per 100 people | 3.13 per 100 people | 39.99 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.28 per 100 people | 47.23 per 100 people | 55.32 per 100 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.10 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 92.7 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 4.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.003 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -20 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 4.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.8324 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 55.32 per 100 people in 2011, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
- What is the highest fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 55.32 per 100 people in 2011.
- What is the lowest fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5078 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 4th out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,306.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, published as part of Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Fixed line and mobile cellular subscriptions are total telephone subscriptions (fixed line plus mobile). Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones. Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provide access to the PSTN using cellular technology. The indicator includes (and is split into) the number of postpaid subscriptions, and the number of active prepaid accounts (i.e. that have been used during the last three months). The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. It excludes subscriptions via data cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging and telemetry services.