Telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Telecommunications investment was 33.5% in 2002. ▲ Rising
Telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1988–2002
Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database. Measured in % of revenue.
Analysis
The most recent figure for telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa is 33.5%, measured in 2002.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 33.7% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 43.2% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 23.6%, in 1994.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 29.5% | — |
| 1990 | 26.5% | -10.2% |
| 1991 | 32.9% | +24.1% |
| 1992 | 29.6% | -9.8% |
| 1993 | 32.9% | +11.1% |
| 1994 | 23.6% | -28.4% |
| 1995 | 31.9% | +35.1% |
| 1996 | 42.9% | +34.7% |
| 1997 | 43.2% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 38.9% | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 39.5% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 32.5% | -17.9% |
| 2001 | 25.0% | -22.8% |
| 2002 | 33.5% | +33.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29.5% | 29.5% | 29.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 34.2% | 23.6% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.3% | 25.0% | 33.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.20 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 90.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 5.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0038 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -16.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 5.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.9049 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Telecommunications investment in Sub-Saharan Africa was 33.5% in 2002, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
- What is the highest telecommunications investment recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 43.2% in 1997.
- What is the lowest telecommunications investment recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6% in 1994.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for telecommunications investment?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2002.
- Is telecommunications investment rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, published as part of Telecommunications investment (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.