Fixed telephone subscriptions in United States
United States: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
23.61 per 100 people
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
50th
of 214 countries
All-time high
68.39 per 100 people
in 2000
All-time low
23.61 per 100 people
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fixed telephone subscriptions in United States, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fixed telephone subscriptions in United States is 23.61 per 100 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 40.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in United States peaked at 68.39 per 100 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.61 per 100 people, in 2024.
That places United States 50th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Fixed telephone subscriptions in United States, year by year
| Year | per 100 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 27.96 per 100 people | — |
| 1961 | 26.39 per 100 people | -5.6% |
| 1962 | 26.39 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 26.39 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 26.39 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 30.73 per 100 people | +16.4% |
| 1966 | 29.18 per 100 people | -5.0% |
| 1967 | 29.18 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 29.18 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 29.18 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 34.46 per 100 people | +18.1% |
| 1971 | 32.95 per 100 people | -4.4% |
| 1972 | 32.95 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 32.95 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 32.95 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 38.11 per 100 people | +15.7% |
| 1976 | 38.83 per 100 people | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 39.65 per 100 people | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 40.59 per 100 people | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 41.4 per 100 people | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 42.25 per 100 people | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 46.78 per 100 people | +10.7% |
| 1982 | 47.16 per 100 people | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 48.01 per 100 people | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 48.35 per 100 people | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 49.33 per 100 people | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 49.8 per 100 people | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 51.19 per 100 people | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 52.45 per 100 people | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 53.69 per 100 people | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 53.7 per 100 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 54.4 per 100 people | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 55.2 per 100 people | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 56.4 per 100 people | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 57.8 per 100 people | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 59.5 per 100 people | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 61.5 per 100 people | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 63.6 per 100 people | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 65.1 per 100 people | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 68 per 100 people | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 68.39 per 100 people | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 67.39 per 100 people | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 65.92 per 100 people | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 63.1 per 100 people | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 60.69 per 100 people | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 59.23 per 100 people | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 56.06 per 100 people | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 52.48 per 100 people | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 53.37 per 100 people | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 49.63 per 100 people | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 48.11 per 100 people | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 45.63 per 100 people | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 43.7 per 100 people | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 41.62 per 100 people | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 39.77 per 100 people | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 38.28 per 100 people | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 36.86 per 100 people | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 35.01 per 100 people | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 32.93 per 100 people | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 31.51 per 100 people | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 29.99 per 100 people | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 28.58 per 100 people | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 26.63 per 100 people | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 24.7 per 100 people | -7.3% |
| 2024 | 23.61 per 100 people | -4.4% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 23.61 per 100 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.32 per 100 people, 97% of the median. (82 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.1 per 100 people | 26.39 per 100 people | 30.73 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 36.48 per 100 people | 32.95 per 100 people | 41.4 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 48.9 per 100 people | 42.25 per 100 people | 53.69 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.52 per 100 people | 53.7 per 100 people | 68 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.63 per 100 people | 49.63 per 100 people | 68.39 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.34 per 100 people | 31.51 per 100 people | 48.11 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.7 per 100 people | 23.61 per 100 people | 29.99 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More infrastructure data for United States
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 390.99 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 113.19 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 81.55 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.2398 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -3.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 81.55 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.15 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 390.99 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in United States?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in United States was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 68.39 per 100 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024.
- How does United States rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
- United States ranks 50th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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.