Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia
South Asia: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 81.7 per 100 people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
In 2025, mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia stood at 81.7 per 100 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia peaked at 86.3 per 100 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
That places South Asia 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia, 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 | 0.0003 per 100 people | — |
| 1991 | 0.0009 per 100 people | +234.8% |
| 1992 | 0.0014 per 100 people | +55.7% |
| 1993 | 0.0026 per 100 people | +86.1% |
| 1994 | 0.0044 per 100 people | +72.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0135 per 100 people | +205.5% |
| 1996 | 0.0363 per 100 people | +169.1% |
| 1997 | 0.0874 per 100 people | +141.1% |
| 1998 | 0.1214 per 100 people | +38.9% |
| 1999 | 0.1858 per 100 people | +53.1% |
| 2000 | 0.3277 per 100 people | +76.4% |
| 2001 | 0.5931 per 100 people | +81.0% |
| 2002 | 1.15 per 100 people | +93.7% |
| 2003 | 2.63 per 100 people | +129.2% |
| 2004 | 4.16 per 100 people | +58.1% |
| 2005 | 7.59 per 100 people | +82.3% |
| 2006 | 14.63 per 100 people | +92.9% |
| 2007 | 21.85 per 100 people | +49.3% |
| 2008 | 31.22 per 100 people | +42.9% |
| 2009 | 43.02 per 100 people | +37.8% |
| 2010 | 57.63 per 100 people | +34.0% |
| 2011 | 67.28 per 100 people | +16.7% |
| 2012 | 66.39 per 100 people | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 68.73 per 100 people | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 72.49 per 100 people | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 74.4 per 100 people | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 81.8 per 100 people | +9.9% |
| 2017 | 84.8 per 100 people | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 85.5 per 100 people | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 83.9 per 100 people | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 86.3 per 100 people | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 86.2 per 100 people | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 85 per 100 people | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 85.3 per 100 people | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 83.4 per 100 people | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 81.7 per 100 people | -2.0% |
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 | 0.0454 per 100 people | 0.0003 per 100 people | 0.1858 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.72 per 100 people | 0.3277 per 100 people | 43.02 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.29 per 100 people | 57.63 per 100 people | 85.5 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.65 per 100 people | 81.7 per 100 people | 86.3 per 100 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 40 Slovakia 139.97 per 100 people compare
- 41 Eswatini 139.83 per 100 people compare
- 42 Malaysia 139.66 per 100 people compare
- 43 Cayman Islands 139.31 per 100 people compare
- 44 Lithuania 138.73 per 100 people compare
- 45 Poland 138.02 per 100 people compare
- 46 Costa Rica 136.03 per 100 people compare
More infrastructure data for South Asia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.38 billion (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 52.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 3.1 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0307 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate 23.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 52.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.8178 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.38 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in South Asia was 81.7 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 86.3 per 100 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does South Asia rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- South Asia ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia 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.
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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.