Mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income
Upper middle income: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 132.4 per 100 people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
In 2025, mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income stood at 132.4 per 100 people. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income peaked at 132.4 per 100 people in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
Upper middle income ranks 6th of 47 groups 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 Upper middle income, 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 | +14.8% |
| 1986 | 0.0008 per 100 people | +693.9% |
| 1987 | 0.0018 per 100 people | +110.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0034 per 100 people | +89.8% |
| 1989 | 0.0064 per 100 people | +90.2% |
| 1990 | 0.0147 per 100 people | +127.8% |
| 1991 | 0.0279 per 100 people | +90.1% |
| 1992 | 0.0545 per 100 people | +95.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1067 per 100 people | +95.5% |
| 1994 | 0.231 per 100 people | +116.6% |
| 1995 | 0.4529 per 100 people | +96.0% |
| 1996 | 0.7934 per 100 people | +75.2% |
| 1997 | 1.44 per 100 people | +81.0% |
| 1998 | 2.33 per 100 people | +62.3% |
| 1999 | 4.19 per 100 people | +79.9% |
| 2015 | 105.5 per 100 people | +2416.1% |
| 2016 | 109.5 per 100 people | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 114.3 per 100 people | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 116 per 100 people | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 121 per 100 people | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 119.7 per 100 people | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 122.9 per 100 people | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 124.1 per 100 people | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 127.5 per 100 people | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 129.9 per 100 people | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 132.4 per 100 people | +1.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +2416.1% | 4.19 per 100 people | 105.5 per 100 people |
| 1986 | +693.9% | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0.0008 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 | 0.0013 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0064 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9641 per 100 people | 0.0147 per 100 people | 4.19 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 113.26 per 100 people | 105.5 per 100 people | 121 per 100 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 126.08 per 100 people | 119.7 per 100 people | 132.4 per 100 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Upper middle income
- 3 Montenegro 221.69 per 100 people compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 203.21 per 100 people compare
- 5 Macao 201.14 per 100 people compare
- 6 Antigua and Barbuda 200.54 per 100 people compare
- 7 Libya 192.97 per 100 people compare
- 8 Russia 186.1 per 100 people compare
- 9 Cote d'Ivoire 183.88 per 100 people compare
More infrastructure data for Upper middle income
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 3.76 billion (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 313.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 11 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.1017 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -4.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 313.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.22 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 3.76 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Upper middle income was 132.4 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 Upper middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 132.4 per 100 people in 2025.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Upper middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does Upper middle income rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Upper middle income ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Upper middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Upper middle 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 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.