Mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland
Iceland: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 475,724 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Iceland recorded 475,724 for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland peaked at 475,724 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
Iceland ranks 175th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 2,642 | — |
| 1987 | 5,008 | +89.6% |
| 1988 | 6,519 | +30.2% |
| 1989 | 7,893 | +21.1% |
| 1990 | 10,010 | +26.8% |
| 1991 | 12,889 | +28.8% |
| 1992 | 15,251 | +18.3% |
| 1993 | 17,409 | +14.1% |
| 1994 | 21,845 | +25.5% |
| 1995 | 30,883 | +41.4% |
| 1996 | 46,805 | +51.6% |
| 1997 | 65,368 | +39.7% |
| 1998 | 104,280 | +59.5% |
| 1999 | 172,614 | +65.5% |
| 2000 | 214,896 | +24.5% |
| 2001 | 248,131 | +15.5% |
| 2002 | 260,438 | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 279,670 | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 290,068 | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 283,108 | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 301,922 | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 326,098 | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 336,922 | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 339,715 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 341,077 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 344,085 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 352,114 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 356,264 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 370,047 | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 383,919 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 401,613 | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 401,231 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 411,361 | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 413,446 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 421,384 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 437,270 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 456,864 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 470,788 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 475,724 | +1.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 475,724 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.70 million, 10% of the median. (82 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 475,724 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.64 million, 6% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +89.6% | 2,642 | 5,008 |
| 1999 | +65.5% | 104,280 | 172,614 |
| 1998 | +59.5% | 65,368 | 104,280 |
| 1996 | +51.6% | 30,883 | 46,805 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1980s | 2,206 | 0 | 7,893 | 10 |
| 1990s | 49,735 | 10,010 | 172,614 | 10 |
| 2000s | 288,097 | 214,896 | 339,715 | 10 |
| 2010s | 377,516 | 341,077 | 413,446 | 10 |
| 2020s | 452,406 | 421,384 | 475,724 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More infrastructure data for Iceland
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 120.93 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 68,518 (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 17.42 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.1773 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -16.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 68,518 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.23 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 475,724 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Iceland was 475,724 in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 475,724 in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does Iceland rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Iceland ranks 175th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 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.