Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 5.00 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 5.00 million for fixed telephone subscriptions in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.7% on the previous year and down 52.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 13.19 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 844,742, in 1960.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th 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, 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 | +5.9% |
| 1978 | 2.06 million | +6.0% |
| 1979 | 2.20 million | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 2.38 million | +8.1% |
| 1981 | 2.78 million | +16.8% |
| 1982 | 2.98 million | +7.3% |
| 1983 | 3.20 million | +7.4% |
| 1984 | 3.35 million | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 3.56 million | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 3.88 million | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 4.10 million | +5.7% |
| 1988 | 4.37 million | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 4.69 million | +7.2% |
| 1990 | 5.04 million | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 5.28 million | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 5.42 million | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 5.67 million | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 6.01 million | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 6.46 million | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 6.95 million | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 7.58 million | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 8.37 million | +10.4% |
| 1999 | 9.19 million | +9.7% |
| 2000 | 9.20 million | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 9.59 million | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 10.16 million | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 10.72 million | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 11.16 million | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 11.16 million | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 11.88 million | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 12.21 million | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 12.22 million | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 13.19 million | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 12.82 million | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 12.38 million | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 11.89 million | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 10.57 million | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 10.64 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 10.60 million | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 11.20 million | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 10.90 million | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 9.30 million | -14.7% |
| 2019 | 7.80 million | -16.1% |
| 2020 | 8.00 million | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 7.00 million | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 7.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6.00 million | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 6.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 5.00 million | -16.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 947,959 | 844,742 | 1.08 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.66 million | 1.35 million | 2.20 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.53 million | 2.38 million | 4.69 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.60 million | 5.04 million | 9.19 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.15 million | 9.20 million | 13.19 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.81 million | 7.80 million | 12.82 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.50 million | 5.00 million | 8.00 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.20 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 90.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0038 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -16.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 5.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.9049 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.20 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa was 5.00 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?
- The highest recorded value was 13.19 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 844,742 in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 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.