Mobile cellular subscriptions in China
China: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 131.75 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in China, 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 China is 131.75 per 100 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 42.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in China peaked at 131.75 per 100 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
China ranks 53rd of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile cellular subscriptions in China, 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 | 0.0001 per 100 people | — |
| 1988 | 0.0003 per 100 people | +353.3% |
| 1989 | 0.0009 per 100 people | +198.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0016 per 100 people | +83.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0041 per 100 people | +155.8% |
| 1992 | 0.0149 per 100 people | +268.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0534 per 100 people | +256.9% |
| 1994 | 0.1299 per 100 people | +143.4% |
| 1995 | 0.2979 per 100 people | +129.4% |
| 1996 | 0.5579 per 100 people | +87.3% |
| 1997 | 1.07 per 100 people | +91.6% |
| 1998 | 1.91 per 100 people | +79.0% |
| 1999 | 3.45 per 100 people | +80.2% |
| 2000 | 6.72 per 100 people | +94.7% |
| 2001 | 11.33 per 100 people | +68.6% |
| 2002 | 16.01 per 100 people | +41.3% |
| 2003 | 20.85 per 100 people | +30.3% |
| 2004 | 25.71 per 100 people | +23.3% |
| 2005 | 30.03 per 100 people | +16.8% |
| 2006 | 34.98 per 100 people | +16.5% |
| 2007 | 41.28 per 100 people | +18.0% |
| 2008 | 48.08 per 100 people | +16.5% |
| 2009 | 55.66 per 100 people | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 63.56 per 100 people | +14.2% |
| 2011 | 72.51 per 100 people | +14.1% |
| 2012 | 81.21 per 100 people | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 89.13 per 100 people | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 92.66 per 100 people | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 92.54 per 100 people | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.21 per 100 people | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 104.07 per 100 people | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 116.23 per 100 people | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 122.67 per 100 people | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 120.5 per 100 people | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 121.49 per 100 people | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 124.19 per 100 people | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 128.25 per 100 people | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 131.75 per 100 people | +2.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 131.75 per 100 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 120.08 per 100 people, 1.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- China's 131.75 per 100 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 115.3 per 100 people, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +353.3% | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0.0003 per 100 people |
| 1992 | +268.0% | 0.0041 per 100 people | 0.0149 per 100 people |
| 1993 | +256.9% | 0.0149 per 100 people | 0.0534 per 100 people |
| 1989 | +198.9% | 0.0003 per 100 people | 0.0009 per 100 people |
| 1991 | +155.8% | 0.0016 per 100 people | 0.0041 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 | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0009 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7491 per 100 people | 0.0016 per 100 people | 3.45 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.06 per 100 people | 6.72 per 100 people | 55.66 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.18 per 100 people | 63.56 per 100 people | 122.67 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 125.24 per 100 people | 120.5 per 100 people | 131.75 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More infrastructure data for China
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.87 billion (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 166.51 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 11.73 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.1182 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -7.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 166.51 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.33 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.87 billion (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in China?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in China was 131.75 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 131.75 per 100 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does China rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- China ranks 53rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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.