Mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 60.1 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan is 60.1 per 100 people, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan peaked at 67.05 per 100 people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
Afghanistan ranks 194th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | per 100 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1965 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1970 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1975 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1976 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1977 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1978 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1979 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1980 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1981 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1982 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1983 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1984 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1985 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1986 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1987 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1988 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1989 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1990 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1991 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1992 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1993 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1994 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1995 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1996 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1997 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1998 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1999 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 2000 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 2001 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 2002 | 0.1169 per 100 people | — |
| 2003 | 0.8798 per 100 people | +652.3% |
| 2004 | 2.55 per 100 people | +189.5% |
| 2005 | 4.92 per 100 people | +93.1% |
| 2006 | 9.91 per 100 people | +101.6% |
| 2007 | 18.02 per 100 people | +81.7% |
| 2008 | 29.83 per 100 people | +65.6% |
| 2009 | 38.23 per 100 people | +28.2% |
| 2010 | 36.12 per 100 people | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 47.02 per 100 people | +30.2% |
| 2012 | 50.2 per 100 people | +6.8% |
| 2013 | 53.15 per 100 people | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 56.13 per 100 people | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 58.26 per 100 people | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 62.26 per 100 people | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 67.05 per 100 people | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 59.81 per 100 people | -10.8% |
| 2019 | 59.65 per 100 people | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 58.05 per 100 people | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 56.69 per 100 people | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 56.27 per 100 people | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 55.55 per 100 people | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 60.1 per 100 people | +8.2% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 60.1 per 100 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 65.08 per 100 people, 92% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 60.1 per 100 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 117.61 per 100 people, 51% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +652.3% | 0.1169 per 100 people | 0.8798 per 100 people |
| 2004 | +189.5% | 0.8798 per 100 people | 2.55 per 100 people |
| 2006 | +101.6% | 4.92 per 100 people | 9.91 per 100 people |
| 2005 | +93.1% | 2.55 per 100 people | 4.92 per 100 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.44 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 38.23 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.96 per 100 people | 36.12 per 100 people | 67.05 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.33 per 100 people | 55.55 per 100 people | 60.1 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More infrastructure data for Afghanistan
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 25.63 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 181,963 (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4389 per 100 people (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0044 units per person (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate 12.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 181,963 (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.601 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0014 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 25.63 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Afghanistan was 60.1 per 100 people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 67.05 per 100 people in 2017.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does Afghanistan rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Afghanistan ranks 194th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provide access to the PSTN using cellular technology. The indicator includes (and is split into) the number of postpaid subscriptions, and the number of active prepaid accounts (i.e. that have been used during the last three months). The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. It excludes subscriptions via data cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging and telemetry services.