Mobile cellular subscriptions in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 1.25 billion in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Europe & Central Asia, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 1.25 billion for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2025. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 1.25 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 19th 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 Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 23,482 | — |
| 1981 | 50,310 | +114.2% |
| 1982 | 79,375 | +57.8% |
| 1983 | 118,093 | +48.8% |
| 1984 | 179,574 | +52.1% |
| 1985 | 322,211 | +79.4% |
| 1986 | 559,165 | +73.5% |
| 1987 | 952,116 | +70.3% |
| 1988 | 1.58 million | +66.0% |
| 1989 | 2.50 million | +57.9% |
| 1990 | 3.46 million | +38.5% |
| 1991 | 4.72 million | +36.7% |
| 1992 | 6.25 million | +32.4% |
| 1993 | 9.29 million | +48.6% |
| 1994 | 15.16 million | +63.1% |
| 1995 | 24.09 million | +58.9% |
| 1996 | 37.97 million | +57.6% |
| 1997 | 61.01 million | +60.7% |
| 1998 | 104.33 million | +71.0% |
| 1999 | 181.45 million | +73.9% |
| 2000 | 290.86 million | +60.3% |
| 2001 | 358.72 million | +23.3% |
| 2002 | 407.86 million | +13.7% |
| 2003 | 473.11 million | +16.0% |
| 2004 | 576.33 million | +21.8% |
| 2005 | 708.26 million | +22.9% |
| 2006 | 829.27 million | +17.1% |
| 2007 | 935.58 million | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 1.02 billion | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 1.06 billion | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 1.07 billion | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.07 billion | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 1.10 billion | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 1.12 billion | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.12 billion | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.12 billion | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.13 billion | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 1.12 billion | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 1.13 billion | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 1.15 billion | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 1.14 billion | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1.17 billion | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 1.18 billion | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 1.21 billion | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 1.23 billion | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 1.25 billion | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1980s | 636,016 | 23,482 | 2.50 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.77 million | 3.46 million | 181.45 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 665.47 million | 290.86 million | 1.06 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.11 billion | 1.07 billion | 1.15 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.20 billion | 1.14 billion | 1.25 billion | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More infrastructure data for Europe & Central Asia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 134.6 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 217.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 23.3 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.2327 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -3.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 217.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.34 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.25 billion (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Europe & Central Asia?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Europe & Central Asia was 1.25 billion in 2025, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.25 billion in 2025.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Mobile cellular subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.