Mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members
OECD members: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 1.69 billion in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members, 1960–2022
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
In 2022, mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members stood at 1.69 billion. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members peaked at 1.69 billion in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
That places OECD members 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2022, putting it 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 OECD members, 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 | 63,585 | +170.8% |
| 1982 | 99,179 | +56.0% |
| 1983 | 145,291 | +46.5% |
| 1984 | 311,566 | +114.4% |
| 1985 | 736,224 | +136.3% |
| 1986 | 1.40 million | +90.6% |
| 1987 | 2.45 million | +74.5% |
| 1988 | 4.16 million | +69.8% |
| 1989 | 7.01 million | +68.7% |
| 1990 | 10.60 million | +51.1% |
| 1991 | 15.18 million | +43.2% |
| 1992 | 21.29 million | +40.3% |
| 1993 | 30.57 million | +43.6% |
| 1994 | 48.72 million | +59.4% |
| 1995 | 77.80 million | +59.7% |
| 1996 | 122.53 million | +57.5% |
| 1997 | 174.75 million | +42.6% |
| 1998 | 252.03 million | +44.2% |
| 1999 | 372.80 million | +47.9% |
| 2000 | 527.12 million | +41.4% |
| 2001 | 630.32 million | +19.6% |
| 2002 | 696.37 million | +10.5% |
| 2003 | 770.45 million | +10.6% |
| 2004 | 866.05 million | +12.4% |
| 2005 | 973.05 million | +12.4% |
| 2006 | 1.08 billion | +10.9% |
| 2007 | 1.19 billion | +10.1% |
| 2008 | 1.25 billion | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 1.29 billion | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 1.31 billion | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 1.37 billion | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 1.41 billion | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 1.45 billion | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.47 billion | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 1.49 billion | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.52 billion | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 1.54 billion | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 1.57 billion | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 1.59 billion | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 1.60 billion | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.64 billion | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 1.69 billion | +2.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +170.8% | 23,482 | 63,585 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1980s | 1.64 million | 23,482 | 7.01 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 112.63 million | 10.60 million | 372.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 926.79 million | 527.12 million | 1.29 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.47 billion | 1.31 billion | 1.59 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 billion | 1.60 billion | 1.69 billion | 3 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More infrastructure data for OECD members
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 122.31 per 100 people (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 429.13 million (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 31.35 per 100 people (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.3113 units per person (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -3.07 % change on previous year (2022)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 429.13 million (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.22 units per person (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 1.69 billion (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in OECD members was 1.69 billion in 2022, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 1.69 billion in 2022.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does OECD members rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- OECD members ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2022.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this OECD members 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 — 51 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.