Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Iran

Number of mobile subscriptions in Iran in 2024 — 159,388,655 subs. Ranked 10 in the world out of 151.

2024 159M subs +5.79% vs 2023
World rank 10of 151
Period maximum 159M subs2024
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Iran, 1960–2024050M100M150M200M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 0 subs1988: 0 subs1989: 0 subs1990: 0 subs1991: 0 subs1992: 0 subs1993: 0 subs1994: 9,200 subs1995: 15,902 subs1996: 59,967 subs1997: 238,942 subs1998: 389,974 subs1999: 490,478 subs2000: 962,595 subs2001: 2,087,353 subs2002: 2,279,143 subs2003: 3,449,876 subs2004: 5,075,678 subs2005: 8,510,513 subs2006: 15,385,289 subs2007: 29,770,000 subs2008: 43,000,000 subs2009: 52,555,000 subs2010: 54,051,764 subs2011: 56,043,006 subs2012: 58,157,539 subs2013: 65,246,219 subs2014: 68,891,151 subs2015: 74,218,815 subs2016: 80,520,249 subs2017: 87,046,953 subs2018: 88,722,442 subs2019: 118,061,419 subs2020: 127,624,951 subs2021: 135,889,424 subs2022: 145,667,536 subs2023: 150,663,996 subs2024: 159,388,655 subs
Change over the period: +159M

Comparison, 2024

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

Iran 159M subs
World 9.01B subs
Southern Asia computed 1.78B subs
Lower-middle-income countries computed 2.96B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Iran, by year Iran All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 159M +8.72M +5.79%
2023 151M +5M +3.43%
2022 146M +9.78M +7.2%
2021 136M +8.26M +6.48%
2020 128M +9.56M +8.1%
2019 118M +29.34M +33.07%
2018 88.72M +1.68M +1.92%
2017 87.05M +6.53M +8.11%
2016 80.52M +6.3M +8.49%
2015 74.22M +5.33M +7.73%
2014 68.89M +3.64M +5.59%
2013 65.25M +7.09M +12.19%
2012 58.16M +2.11M +3.77%
2011 56.04M +1.99M +3.68%
2010 54.05M +1.5M +2.85%
2009 52.56M +9.56M +22.22%
2008 43M +13.23M +44.44%
2007 29.77M +14.38M +93.5%
2006 15.39M +6.87M +80.78%
2005 8.51M +3.43M +67.67%
2004 5.08M +1.63M +47.13%
2003 3.45M +1.17M +51.37%
2002 2.28M +191,790 +9.19%
2001 2.09M +1.12M +116.85%
2000 962,595 +472,117 +96.26%
1999 490,478 +100,504 +25.77%
1998 389,974 +151,032 +63.21%
1997 238,942 +178,975 +298.46%
1996 59,967 +44,065 +277.1%
1995 15,902 +6,702 +72.85%
1994 9,200 +9,200
1993 0 +0
1992 0 +0
1991 0 +0
1990 0 +0
1989 0 +0
1988 0 +0
1987 0 +0
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

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.