Mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only
IBRD only: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 115.9 per 100 people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
IBRD only recorded 115.9 per 100 people for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2025. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only peaked at 115.9 per 100 people in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
IBRD only ranks 20th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only, 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 | 0.0001 per 100 people | — |
| 1985 | 0.0001 per 100 people | +14.6% |
| 1986 | 0.0005 per 100 people | +695.8% |
| 1987 | 0.0012 per 100 people | +127.3% |
| 1988 | 0.0022 per 100 people | +88.9% |
| 1989 | 0.0043 per 100 people | +94.3% |
| 1990 | 0.0097 per 100 people | +126.2% |
| 1991 | 0.0197 per 100 people | +102.7% |
| 1992 | 0.0394 per 100 people | +100.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0765 per 100 people | +94.0% |
| 1994 | 0.1596 per 100 people | +108.7% |
| 1995 | 0.3161 per 100 people | +98.1% |
| 1996 | 0.5603 per 100 people | +77.3% |
| 1997 | 1.03 per 100 people | +83.0% |
| 1998 | 1.68 per 100 people | +63.5% |
| 1999 | 3.03 per 100 people | +81.0% |
| 2000 | 5.47 per 100 people | +80.5% |
| 2001 | 8.51 per 100 people | +55.4% |
| 2002 | 11.76 per 100 people | +38.2% |
| 2003 | 15.88 per 100 people | +35.0% |
| 2004 | 21.71 per 100 people | +36.8% |
| 2005 | 29.21 per 100 people | +34.5% |
| 2006 | 37.7 per 100 people | +29.1% |
| 2007 | 47.11 per 100 people | +25.0% |
| 2008 | 57.47 per 100 people | +22.0% |
| 2009 | 67.66 per 100 people | +17.7% |
| 2010 | 78.8 per 100 people | +16.5% |
| 2011 | 87.57 per 100 people | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 91.8 per 100 people | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 96.57 per 100 people | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 99.27 per 100 people | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 99.4 per 100 people | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 103.9 per 100 people | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 106.8 per 100 people | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 108.3 per 100 people | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 111 per 100 people | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 109.6 per 100 people | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 111.6 per 100 people | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 112.2 per 100 people | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 113.9 per 100 people | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 114.9 per 100 people | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 115.9 per 100 people | +0.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +695.8% | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0.0005 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 | 0.0008 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0043 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6915 per 100 people | 0.0097 per 100 people | 3.03 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.25 per 100 people | 5.47 per 100 people | 67.66 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.34 per 100 people | 78.8 per 100 people | 111 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 113.02 per 100 people | 109.6 per 100 people | 115.9 per 100 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near IBRD only
More infrastructure data for IBRD only
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 5.82 billion (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 420.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 8.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0839 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -1.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 420.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.16 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 5.82 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in IBRD only was 115.9 per 100 people in 2025, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in IBRD only?
- The highest recorded value was 115.9 per 100 people in 2025.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in IBRD only?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does IBRD only rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- IBRD only ranks 20th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in IBRD only?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this IBRD only 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 — 54 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.