Fixed telephone subscriptions in France

France: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 37.28 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
37.28 million
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
6th
of 214 countries
All-time high
40.93 million
in 2009
All-time low
2.19 million
in 1961
Years of data
64
1960–2023

Fixed telephone subscriptions in France, 1960–2023

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M196019912023

Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Analysis

The most recent figure for fixed telephone subscriptions in France is 37.28 million, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in France peaked at 40.93 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 2.19 million, in 1961.

That places France 6th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Fixed telephone subscriptions in France, year by year

Annual values for Fixed telephone subscriptions in France, 1960 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1960 2.19 million
1961 2.19 million +0.0%
1962 2.19 million +0.0%
1963 2.19 million +0.0%
1964 2.19 million +0.0%
1965 3.06 million +39.7%
1966 3.06 million +0.0%
1967 3.06 million +0.0%
1968 3.06 million +0.0%
1969 3.06 million +0.0%
1970 4.27 million +39.2%
1971 4.27 million +0.0%
1972 4.27 million +0.0%
1973 4.27 million +0.0%
1974 4.27 million +0.0%
1975 7.10 million +66.3%
1976 8.44 million +18.9%
1977 10.06 million +19.1%
1978 12.01 million +19.4%
1979 13.96 million +16.2%
1980 15.90 million +13.9%
1981 17.74 million +11.6%
1982 19.48 million +9.8%
1983 20.94 million +7.5%
1984 22.09 million +5.5%
1985 23.03 million +4.3%
1986 23.91 million +3.8%
1987 24.80 million +3.7%
1988 25.83 million +4.1%
1989 26.94 million +4.3%
1990 28.08 million +4.2%
1991 29.10 million +3.6%
1992 30.10 million +3.4%
1993 30.90 million +2.7%
1994 31.70 million +2.6%
1995 32.40 million +2.2%
1996 32.90 million +1.5%
1997 33.70 million +2.4%
1998 34.10 million +1.2%
1999 33.89 million -0.6%
2000 33.99 million +0.3%
2001 34.08 million +0.3%
2002 34.12 million +0.1%
2003 33.91 million -0.6%
2004 33.70 million -0.6%
2005 33.71 million +0.0%
2006 34.12 million +1.2%
2007 34.80 million +2.0%
2008 35.10 million +0.9%
2009 40.93 million +16.6%
2010 40.62 million -0.8%
2011 40.37 million -0.6%
2012 39.71 million -1.6%
2013 39.08 million -1.6%
2014 38.80 million -0.7%
2015 38.93 million +0.3%
2016 39.01 million +0.2%
2017 38.73 million -0.7%
2018 38.13 million -1.5%
2019 37.80 million -0.9%
2020 37.76 million -0.1%
2021 38.08 million +0.9%
2022 37.87 million -0.6%
2023 37.28 million -1.6%

France compared with similar countries

  • France's 37.28 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 445,236, 83.7× the median. (82 countries reporting)
  • France's 37.28 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 716,034, 52.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Fixed telephone subscriptions in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1975 +66.3% 4.27 million 7.10 million
1965 +39.7% 2.19 million 3.06 million
1970 +39.2% 3.06 million 4.27 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 2.63 million 2.19 million 3.06 million 10
1970s 7.29 million 4.27 million 13.96 million 10
1980s 22.07 million 15.90 million 26.94 million 10
1990s 31.69 million 28.08 million 34.10 million 10
2000s 34.85 million 33.70 million 40.93 million 10
2010s 39.12 million 37.80 million 40.62 million 10
2020s 37.75 million 37.28 million 38.08 million 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 3 Japan 59.33 million compare
  2. 4 India 39.24 million compare
  3. 5 Germany 38.40 million compare
  4. 7 Mexico 29.52 million compare
  5. 8 Iran 28.23 million compare
  6. 9 United Kingdom 23.77 million compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More infrastructure data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is fixed telephone subscriptions in France?
Fixed telephone subscriptions in France was 37.28 million in 2023, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 40.93 million in 2009.
What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 2.19 million in 1961.
How does France rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
France ranks 6th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fixed telephone subscriptions in France. Statizoid, drawing on World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/fixed-telephone-subscriptions/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Fixed telephone subscriptions
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 14,489 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.