Fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 6.71 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia, 1970–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 6.71 million for fixed telephone subscriptions in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 35.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia peaked at 6.79 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 93,600, in 1970.
That places Saudi Arabia 20th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 93,600 | — |
| 1971 | 93,600 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 93,600 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 93,600 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 93,600 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 138,000 | +47.4% |
| 1976 | 141,000 | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 153,000 | +8.5% |
| 1978 | 196,938 | +28.7% |
| 1979 | 277,288 | +40.8% |
| 1980 | 319,576 | +15.3% |
| 1981 | 512,205 | +60.3% |
| 1982 | 693,799 | +35.5% |
| 1983 | 790,711 | +14.0% |
| 1984 | 889,966 | +12.6% |
| 1985 | 905,909 | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 957,357 | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 1.00 million | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 1.07 million | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 1.12 million | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 1.23 million | +9.7% |
| 1991 | 1.47 million | +18.8% |
| 1992 | 1.57 million | +7.0% |
| 1993 | 1.61 million | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 1.68 million | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 1.72 million | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 1.80 million | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 1.88 million | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 2.17 million | +15.4% |
| 1999 | 2.71 million | +24.9% |
| 2000 | 2.96 million | +9.6% |
| 2001 | 3.23 million | +9.0% |
| 2002 | 3.42 million | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 3.50 million | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 3.70 million | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 3.84 million | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 3.95 million | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 4.00 million | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 4.10 million | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 4.17 million | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 4.17 million | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 4.63 million | +11.2% |
| 2012 | 4.80 million | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 4.94 million | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 3.75 million | -24.1% |
| 2016 | 4.24 million | +13.1% |
| 2017 | 4.66 million | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 5.39 million | +15.6% |
| 2019 | 5.38 million | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 5.75 million | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 6.59 million | +14.7% |
| 2022 | 6.77 million | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 6.79 million | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 6.71 million | -1.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 6.71 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 445,236, 15.1× the median. (82 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 6.71 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.22 million, 5.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +60.3% | 319,576 | 512,205 |
| 1975 | +47.4% | 93,600 | 138,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 137,423 | 93,600 | 277,288 | 10 |
| 1980s | 826,761 | 319,576 | 1.12 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.78 million | 1.23 million | 2.71 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.69 million | 2.96 million | 4.17 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.66 million | 3.75 million | 5.39 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.52 million | 5.75 million | 6.79 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More infrastructure data for Saudi Arabia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 54.18 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 159.54 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 19.75 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.19 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 6.71 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.53 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 54.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in Saudi Arabia was 6.71 million in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.79 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 93,600 in 1970.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 20th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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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CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.