Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Fixed telephone subscriptions was 4.00 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
The most recent figure for fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 4.00 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 20.0% on the previous year and down 62.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 13.16 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 844,742, in 1960.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 41st of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 844,742 | — |
| 1961 | 844,742 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 844,742 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 844,742 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 844,742 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.08 million | +27.5% |
| 1967 | 1.08 million | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.08 million | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.08 million | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.35 million | +25.1% |
| 1971 | 1.37 million | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 1.37 million | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.37 million | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.37 million | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.72 million | +25.6% |
| 1976 | 1.83 million | +6.5% |
| 1977 | 1.94 million | +5.8% |
| 1978 | 2.05 million | +6.0% |
| 1979 | 2.20 million | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 2.37 million | +8.1% |
| 1981 | 2.77 million | +16.9% |
| 1982 | 2.98 million | +7.3% |
| 1983 | 3.20 million | +7.4% |
| 1984 | 3.34 million | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 3.56 million | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 3.87 million | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 4.09 million | +5.7% |
| 1988 | 4.36 million | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 4.68 million | +7.2% |
| 1990 | 5.04 million | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 5.27 million | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 5.41 million | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 5.66 million | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 6.00 million | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 6.44 million | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 6.93 million | +7.5% |
| 1997 | 7.56 million | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 8.35 million | +10.4% |
| 1999 | 9.17 million | +9.8% |
| 2000 | 9.18 million | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 9.57 million | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 10.14 million | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 10.70 million | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 11.14 million | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 11.14 million | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 11.86 million | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 12.18 million | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 12.19 million | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 13.16 million | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 12.80 million | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 12.35 million | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 11.87 million | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 10.55 million | -11.1% |
| 2014 | 10.62 million | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 10.61 million | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 11.17 million | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 10.86 million | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 7.87 million | -27.5% |
| 2019 | 7.73 million | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 7.00 million | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 6.00 million | -14.3% |
| 2022 | 6.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.00 million | -16.7% |
| 2024 | 5.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4.00 million | -20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 947,852 | 844,742 | 1.08 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.66 million | 1.35 million | 2.20 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.52 million | 2.37 million | 4.68 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.58 million | 5.04 million | 9.17 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.13 million | 9.18 million | 13.16 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.64 million | 7.73 million | 12.80 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.50 million | 4.00 million | 7.00 million | 6 |
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 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)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.10 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 4.00 million in 2025, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 13.16 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 844,742 in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.3%. 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 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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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.