Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Middle East & North Africa

Number of mobile subscriptions in Middle East & North Africa in 2025 — 884,000,000 subs.

2025 884M subs +4.12% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 884M subs2025
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Middle East & North Africa, 1960–20250250M500M750M1B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 0 subs1981: 0 subs1982: 2,330 subs1983: 3,564 subs1984: 4,936 subs1985: 7,976 subs1986: 20,756 subs1987: 33,793 subs1988: 39,447 subs1989: 58,750 subs1990: 103,858 subs1991: 155,184 subs1992: 191,885 subs1993: 269,134 subs1994: 413,526 subs1995: 973,700 subs1996: 2,039,078 subs1997: 3,541,826 subs1998: 5,074,447 subs1999: 7,500,527 subs2000: 14,393,980 subs2001: 24,207,675 subs2002: 33,593,657 subs2003: 44,399,317 subs2004: 62,657,237 subs2005: 98,356,936 subs2006: 143,764,621 subs2007: 203,234,506 subs2008: 251,627,983 subs2009: 308,984,167 subs2010: 354,183,384 subs2011: 387,335,332 subs2012: 415,289,041 subs2013: 445,830,806 subs2014: 456,533,871 subs2015: 466,500,000 subs2016: 470,400,000 subs2017: 474,400,000 subs2018: 477,000,000 subs2019: 511,400,000 subs2020: 721,000,000 subs2021: 756,000,000 subs2022: 795,000,000 subs2023: 817,000,000 subs2024: 849,000,000 subs2025: 884,000,000 subs
Change over the period: +884M

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Middle East & North Africa

Middle East & North Africa 884M subs
World 9.17B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Middle East & North Africa, by year Middle East & North Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2025 884M +35M +4.12%
2024 849M +32M +3.92%
2023 817M +22M +2.77%
2022 795M +39M +5.16%
2021 756M +35M +4.85%
2020 721M +210M +40.99%
2019 511M +34.4M +7.21%
2018 477M +2.6M +0.55%
2017 474M +4M +0.85%
2016 470M +3.9M +0.84%
2015 467M +9.97M +2.18%
2014 457M +10.7M +2.4%
2013 446M +30.54M +7.35%
2012 415M +27.95M +7.22%
2011 387M +33.15M +9.36%
2010 354M +45.2M +14.63%
2009 309M +57.36M +22.79%
2008 252M +48.39M +23.81%
2007 203M +59.47M +41.37%
2006 144M +45.41M +46.17%
2005 98.36M +35.7M +56.98%
2004 62.66M +18.26M +41.12%
2003 44.4M +10.81M +32.17%
2002 33.59M +9.39M +38.77%
2001 24.21M +9.81M +68.18%
2000 14.39M +6.89M +91.91%
1999 7.5M +2.43M +47.81%
1998 5.07M +1.53M +43.27%
1997 3.54M +1.5M +73.7%
1996 2.04M +1.07M +109.42%
1995 973,700 +560,174 +135.46%
1994 413,526 +144,392 +53.65%
1993 269,134 +77,249 +40.26%
1992 191,885 +36,701 +23.65%
1991 155,184 +51,326 +49.42%
1990 103,858 +45,108 +76.78%
1989 58,750 +19,303 +48.93%
1988 39,447 +5,654 +16.73%
1987 33,793 +13,037 +62.81%
1986 20,756 +12,780 +160.23%
1985 7,976 +3,040 +61.59%
1984 4,936 +1,372 +38.5%
1983 3,564 +1,234 +52.96%
1982 2,330 +2,330
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.