Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — European Union

Number of mobile subscriptions in the European Union in 2024 — 490,529,317 subs.

2024 491M subs −12.7% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 562M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — European Union, 1960–20240200M400M600M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 23,482 subs1981: 48,640 subs1982: 68,316 subs1983: 94,620 subs1984: 140,524 subs1985: 209,136 subs1986: 339,097 subs1987: 526,503 subs1988: 821,039 subs1989: 1,256,581 subs1990: 1,977,744 subs1991: 2,994,904 subs1992: 4,165,791 subs1993: 6,283,304 subs1994: 10,062,844 subs1995: 16,329,003 subs1996: 27,628,034 subs1997: 47,078,342 subs1998: 80,898,127 subs1999: 137,859,052 subs2000: 217,806,189 subs2001: 270,663,803 subs2002: 298,927,529 subs2003: 329,629,026 subs2004: 365,645,778 subs2005: 410,555,192 subs2006: 453,810,953 subs2007: 502,825,658 subs2008: 530,556,262 subs2009: 530,575,130 subs2010: 520,322,138 subs2011: 535,242,039 subs2012: 545,032,432 subs2013: 551,669,459 subs2014: 546,079,631 subs2015: 538,923,243 subs2016: 541,111,977 subs2017: 543,420,112 subs2018: 541,481,791 subs2019: 541,625,785 subs2020: 540,498,081 subs2021: 548,154,681 subs2022: 552,315,605 subs2023: 561,921,367 subs2024: 490,529,317 subs
Change over the period: +491M

Comparison, 2024

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

European Union 491M subs
World 9.01B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — European Union, by year European Union All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 491M −71.39M −12.7%
2023 562M +9.61M +1.74%
2022 552M +4.16M +0.76%
2021 548M +7.66M +1.42%
2020 540M −1.13M −0.21%
2019 542M +143,994 +0.03%
2018 541M −1.94M −0.36%
2017 543M +2.31M +0.43%
2016 541M +2.19M +0.41%
2015 539M −7.16M −1.31%
2014 546M −5.59M −1.01%
2013 552M +6.64M +1.22%
2012 545M +9.79M +1.83%
2011 535M +14.92M +2.87%
2010 520M −10.25M −1.93%
2009 531M +18,868 +0%
2008 531M +27.73M +5.51%
2007 503M +49.01M +10.8%
2006 454M +43.26M +10.54%
2005 411M +44.91M +12.28%
2004 366M +36.02M +10.93%
2003 330M +30.7M +10.27%
2002 299M +28.26M +10.44%
2001 271M +52.86M +24.27%
2000 218M +79.95M +57.99%
1999 138M +56.96M +70.41%
1998 80.9M +33.82M +71.84%
1997 47.08M +19.45M +70.4%
1996 27.63M +11.3M +69.2%
1995 16.33M +6.27M +62.27%
1994 10.06M +3.78M +60.15%
1993 6.28M +2.12M +50.83%
1992 4.17M +1.17M +39.1%
1991 2.99M +1.02M +51.43%
1990 1.98M +721,163 +57.39%
1989 1.26M +435,542 +53.05%
1988 821,039 +294,536 +55.94%
1987 526,503 +187,406 +55.27%
1986 339,097 +129,961 +62.14%
1985 209,136 +68,612 +48.83%
1984 140,524 +45,904 +48.51%
1983 94,620 +26,304 +38.5%
1982 68,316 +19,676 +40.45%
1981 48,640 +25,158 +107.14%
1980 23,482 +23,482
1979 0 +0
1978 0 +0
1977 0 +0
1976 0 +0
1975 0
1970 0
1965 0
1960 0

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.