Mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Mobile cellular subscriptions was 92.7 per 100 people in 2025. β Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960β2025
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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 92.7 per 100 people, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 93.4 per 100 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 32nd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
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 | 0.0008 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2321 per 100 people | 0.0015 per 100 people | 0.9955 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.19 per 100 people | 1.72 per 100 people | 37.4 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.77 per 100 people | 44.09 per 100 people | 81.16 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.18 per 100 people | 85.7 per 100 people | 93.4 per 100 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.10 billion (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 4.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.003 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -20 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 4.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.8324 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.10 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 92.7 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 93.4 per 100 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 32nd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.