Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — China

Number of mobile subscriptions in China in 2024 — 1,870,011,592 subs. Ranked 1 in the world out of 151.

2024 1.87B subs +2.5% vs 2023
World rank 1of 151
Period maximum 1.87B subs2024
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — China, 1960–20240500M1B1.5B2B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 0 subs1981: 0 subs1982: 0 subs1983: 0 subs1984: 0 subs1985: 0 subs1986: 0 subs1987: 700 subs1988: 3,227 subs1989: 9,805 subs1990: 18,319 subs1991: 47,544 subs1992: 176,943 subs1993: 638,000 subs1994: 1,568,000 subs1995: 3,629,000 subs1996: 6,853,000 subs1997: 13,233,000 subs1998: 23,863,000 subs1999: 43,296,000 subs2000: 85,260,000 subs2001: 144,820,000 subs2002: 206,005,000 subs2003: 269,953,000 subs2004: 334,824,000 subs2005: 393,406,000 subs2006: 461,058,000 subs2007: 547,306,000 subs2008: 641,245,000 subs2009: 747,214,000 subs2010: 859,003,000 subs2011: 986,253,000 subs2012: 1,112,155,000 subs2013: 1,229,113,000 subs2014: 1,286,093,000 subs2015: 1,291,984,200 subs2016: 1,364,934,000 subs2017: 1,469,882,500 subs2018: 1,649,301,700 subs2019: 1,746,238,000 subs2020: 1,718,411,000 subs2021: 1,733,006,000 subs2022: 1,770,005,314 subs2023: 1,824,422,700 subs2024: 1,870,011,592 subs
Change over the period: +1.87B

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: China

China 1.87B subs
World 9.01B subs
East Asia & Pacific 3.19B subs
Eastern Asia computed 1.99B subs
Upper-middle-income countries computed 3.44B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — China, by year China All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 1.87B +45.59M +2.5%
2023 1.82B +54.42M +3.07%
2022 1.77B +37M +2.13%
2021 1.73B +14.6M +0.85%
2020 1.72B −27.83M −1.59%
2019 1.75B +96.94M +5.88%
2018 1.65B +179M +12.21%
2017 1.47B +105M +7.69%
2016 1.36B +72.95M +5.65%
2015 1.29B +5.89M +0.46%
2014 1.29B +56.98M +4.64%
2013 1.23B +117M +10.52%
2012 1.11B +126M +12.77%
2011 986M +127M +14.81%
2010 859M +112M +14.96%
2009 747M +106M +16.53%
2008 641M +93.94M +17.16%
2007 547M +86.25M +18.71%
2006 461M +67.65M +17.2%
2005 393M +58.58M +17.5%
2004 335M +64.87M +24.03%
2003 270M +63.95M +31.04%
2002 206M +61.19M +42.25%
2001 145M +59.56M +69.86%
2000 85.26M +41.96M +96.92%
1999 43.3M +19.43M +81.44%
1998 23.86M +10.63M +80.33%
1997 13.23M +6.38M +93.1%
1996 6.85M +3.22M +88.84%
1995 3.63M +2.06M +131.44%
1994 1.57M +930,000 +145.77%
1993 638,000 +461,057 +260.57%
1992 176,943 +129,399 +272.17%
1991 47,544 +29,225 +159.53%
1990 18,319 +8,514 +86.83%
1989 9,805 +6,578 +203.84%
1988 3,227 +2,527 +361%
1987 700 +700
1986 0 +0
1985 0 +0
1984 0 +0
1983 0 +0
1982 0 +0
1981 0 +0
1980 0 +0
1979 0 +0
1978 0 +0
1977 0 +0
1976 0 +0
1975 0
1970 0
1965 0
1960 0

Eastern Asia, 2024

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The number of active mobile cellular subscriptions. Subscriptions are counted, not people: one person can hold several SIM cards, and in countries where calls within a network are cheaper than calls between networks this is ordinary practice. That is exactly why the same indicator per hundred people in this catalog often runs above a hundred and fifty, and why the absolute series is easier to read: it speaks of the size of the market, not of the penetration of service.

Important: Subscriptions, not subscribers. Machine-to-machine connections — meters, cars, sensors — are counted differently from country to country.

Source: ICT Indicators (ITU), license ITU terms of use.