Mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea
North Korea: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 6.35 million in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea, 1960–2022
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
In 2022, mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea stood at 6.35 million. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 273.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea peaked at 6.35 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
North Korea ranks 116th of 214 countries 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 North Korea, 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 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 69,261 | — |
| 2010 | 431,919 | +523.6% |
| 2011 | 1.00 million | +131.5% |
| 2012 | 1.70 million | +70.0% |
| 2013 | 2.42 million | +42.4% |
| 2014 | 2.80 million | +15.7% |
| 2015 | 3.24 million | +15.7% |
| 2016 | 3.61 million | +11.3% |
| 2017 | 3.81 million | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 4.25 million | +11.6% |
| 2020 | 6.00 million | +41.1% |
| 2021 | 6.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6.35 million | +5.9% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 6.35 million is below the median for low income countries, which is 15.00 million, 42% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 6.35 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.10 million, 1.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +523.6% | 69,261 | 431,919 |
| 2011 | +131.5% | 431,919 | 1.00 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,926 | 0 | 69,261 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.58 million | 431,919 | 4.25 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.12 million | 6.00 million | 6.35 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 113 Costa Rica 6.98 million compare
- 114 New Zealand 6.78 million compare
- 115 Oman 6.35 million compare
- 117 Turkmenistan 6.25 million compare
- 118 Georgia 6.14 million compare
- 119 Norway 6.10 million compare
More infrastructure data for North Korea
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 24.13 per 100 people (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.18 million (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 4.48 per 100 people (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0448 units per person (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.0373 % change on previous year (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 1.18 million (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.2413 units per person (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 6.35 million (2022)
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide 74 (2023)
- Air transport, freight 0.0075 million ton-km (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in North Korea was 6.35 million in 2022, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.35 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- North Korea ranks 116th out of 214 countries with data for 2022.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 273.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea 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 — 50 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.