Mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal
Portugal: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 12.94 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Portugal recorded 12.94 million for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2024.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal peaked at 14.05 million in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
Portugal ranks 82nd 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 Portugal, 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 | 2,782 | — |
| 1990 | 6,500 | +133.6% |
| 1991 | 12,600 | +93.8% |
| 1992 | 37,262 | +195.7% |
| 1993 | 101,300 | +171.9% |
| 1994 | 173,508 | +71.3% |
| 1995 | 340,845 | +96.4% |
| 1996 | 663,651 | +94.7% |
| 1997 | 1.51 million | +127.1% |
| 1998 | 3.07 million | +104.0% |
| 1999 | 4.67 million | +51.9% |
| 2000 | 6.66 million | +42.7% |
| 2001 | 7.98 million | +19.7% |
| 2002 | 8.67 million | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 10.00 million | +15.4% |
| 2004 | 10.57 million | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 11.45 million | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 12.23 million | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 13.48 million | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 14.05 million | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 11.80 million | -16.0% |
| 2010 | 12.21 million | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 12.33 million | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 11.92 million | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 11.99 million | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 11.90 million | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 11.71 million | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 11.57 million | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 11.76 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 11.86 million | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 11.91 million | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 11.85 million | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 12.45 million | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 12.79 million | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 12.83 million | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 12.94 million | +0.9% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 12.94 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.70 million, 2.8× the median. (82 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 12.94 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.64 million, 1.7× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +195.7% | 12,600 | 37,262 |
| 1993 | +171.9% | 37,262 | 101,300 |
| 1990 | +133.6% | 2,782 | 6,500 |
| 1997 | +127.1% | 663,651 | 1.51 million |
| 1998 | +104.0% | 1.51 million | 3.07 million |
| 1995 | +96.4% | 173,508 | 340,845 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1980s | 278.2 | 0 | 2,782 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.06 million | 6,500 | 4.67 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.69 million | 6.66 million | 14.05 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.92 million | 11.57 million | 12.33 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.57 million | 11.85 million | 12.94 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More infrastructure data for Portugal
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 124.13 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 5.53 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 53 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.5167 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.4382 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 5.53 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.21 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 12.94 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Portugal was 12.94 million in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 14.05 million in 2008.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does Portugal rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Portugal ranks 82nd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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.