Mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 15.68 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe, 1960–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 15.68 million for mobile cellular subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 32.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe peaked at 15.68 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1960.
Zimbabwe ranks 73rd 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 Zimbabwe, 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 | 5,734 | — |
| 1998 | 19,000 | +231.4% |
| 1999 | 174,000 | +815.8% |
| 2000 | 266,441 | +53.1% |
| 2001 | 314,002 | +17.9% |
| 2002 | 338,779 | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 363,651 | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 425,745 | +17.1% |
| 2005 | 647,110 | +52.0% |
| 2006 | 849,146 | +31.2% |
| 2007 | 1.23 million | +44.3% |
| 2008 | 1.65 million | +35.0% |
| 2009 | 3.99 million | +141.2% |
| 2010 | 7.70 million | +92.9% |
| 2011 | 9.20 million | +19.5% |
| 2012 | 12.61 million | +37.1% |
| 2013 | 13.63 million | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 11.80 million | -13.5% |
| 2015 | 12.76 million | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 12.88 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 14.09 million | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 12.91 million | -8.4% |
| 2019 | 13.20 million | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 13.19 million | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 14.26 million | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 14.30 million | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 14.97 million | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 15.68 million | +4.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 15.68 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.17 million, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 15.68 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.69 million, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +815.8% | 19,000 | 174,000 |
| 1998 | +231.4% | 5,734 | 19,000 |
| 2009 | +141.2% | 1.65 million | 3.99 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 | 19,873 | 0 | 174,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.01 million | 266,441 | 3.99 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.08 million | 7.70 million | 14.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.48 million | 13.19 million | 15.68 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More infrastructure data for Zimbabwe
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 94.25 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 298,047 (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.79 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0179 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -3.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 298,047 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.9425 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled 15.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Zimbabwe was 15.68 million in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 15.68 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for mobile cellular subscriptions?
- Zimbabwe ranks 73rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.