Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Japan

Number of mobile subscriptions in Japan in 2023 — 221,918,117 subs. Ranked 7 in the world out of 172.

2023 222M subs +5.3% vs 2022
World rank 7of 172
Period maximum 222M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2023 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Japan, 1960–20230100M200M300M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 0 subs1981: 13,275 subs1982: 19,804 subs1983: 27,198 subs1984: 40,392 subs1985: 61,800 subs1986: 95,131 subs1987: 150,773 subs1988: 242,888 subs1989: 489,558 subs1990: 868,078 subs1991: 1,378,108 subs1992: 1,712,545 subs1993: 2,131,367 subs1994: 4,331,369 subs1995: 11,712,137 subs1996: 26,906,511 subs1997: 38,253,893 subs1998: 47,307,592 subs1999: 56,845,594 subs2000: 66,784,374 subs2001: 74,819,158 subs2002: 81,118,324 subs2003: 86,655,000 subs2004: 91,474,000 subs2005: 96,484,000 subs2006: 99,826,000 subs2007: 107,339,000 subs2008: 110,394,996 subs2009: 116,295,378 subs2010: 123,287,125 subs2011: 132,761,125 subs2012: 141,129,280 subs2013: 147,887,593 subs2014: 157,856,591 subs2015: 160,559,734 subs2016: 166,852,753 subs2017: 172,789,990 subs2018: 179,872,794 subs2019: 186,514,109 subs2020: 195,054,893 subs2021: 200,478,808 subs2022: 210,749,596 subs2023: 221,918,117 subs
Change over the period: +222M

Comparison, 2023

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

Japan 222M subs
World 8.88B subs
East Asia & Pacific 3.14B subs
Eastern Asia computed 2.16B subs
High-income countries computed 1.88B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Japan, by year Japan All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2023 222M +11.17M +5.3%
2022 211M +10.27M +5.12%
2021 200M +5.42M +2.78%
2020 195M +8.54M +4.58%
2019 187M +6.64M +3.69%
2018 180M +7.08M +4.1%
2017 173M +5.94M +3.56%
2016 167M +6.29M +3.92%
2015 161M +2.7M +1.71%
2014 158M +9.97M +6.74%
2013 148M +6.76M +4.79%
2012 141M +8.37M +6.3%
2011 133M +9.47M +7.68%
2010 123M +6.99M +6.01%
2009 116M +5.9M +5.34%
2008 110M +3.06M +2.85%
2007 107M +7.51M +7.53%
2006 99.83M +3.34M +3.46%
2005 96.48M +5.01M +5.48%
2004 91.47M +4.82M +5.56%
2003 86.66M +5.54M +6.83%
2002 81.12M +6.3M +8.42%
2001 74.82M +8.03M +12.03%
2000 66.78M +9.94M +17.48%
1999 56.85M +9.54M +20.16%
1998 47.31M +9.05M +23.67%
1997 38.25M +11.35M +42.17%
1996 26.91M +15.19M +129.73%
1995 11.71M +7.38M +170.4%
1994 4.33M +2.2M +103.22%
1993 2.13M +418,822 +24.46%
1992 1.71M +334,437 +24.27%
1991 1.38M +510,030 +58.75%
1990 868,078 +378,520 +77.32%
1989 489,558 +246,670 +101.56%
1988 242,888 +92,115 +61.1%
1987 150,773 +55,642 +58.49%
1986 95,131 +33,331 +53.93%
1985 61,800 +21,408 +53%
1984 40,392 +13,194 +48.51%
1983 27,198 +7,394 +37.34%
1982 19,804 +6,529 +49.18%
1981 13,275 +13,275
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, 2023

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.