Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — NATO

Number of mobile subscriptions in NATO in 2024 — 1,090,247,826 subs.

2024 1.09B subs −5.6% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 1.15B subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — NATO, 1960–20240500M1B1.5B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 23,482 subs1981: 50,310 subs1982: 79,375 subs1983: 118,093 subs1984: 271,174 subs1985: 664,362 subs1986: 1,280,386 subs1987: 2,246,162 subs1988: 3,778,299 subs1989: 6,211,205 subs1990: 9,095,358 subs1991: 12,728,210 subs1992: 17,862,027 subs1993: 26,064,199 subs1994: 40,391,509 subs1995: 59,292,768 subs1996: 83,564,518 subs1997: 116,979,878 subs1998: 172,671,682 subs1999: 262,903,382 subs2000: 390,270,292 subs2001: 470,060,985 subs2002: 519,986,639 subs2003: 580,301,537 subs2004: 654,607,715 subs2005: 734,552,970 subs2006: 818,703,233 subs2007: 902,356,131 subs2008: 947,980,631 subs2009: 961,787,929 subs2010: 963,289,036 subs2011: 994,970,327 subs2012: 1,016,231,440 subs2013: 1,032,218,931 subs2014: 1,040,997,872 subs2015: 1,046,262,618 subs2016: 1,059,013,415 subs2017: 1,067,385,127 subs2018: 1,076,122,728 subs2019: 1,087,375,129 subs2020: 1,080,498,867 subs2021: 1,103,153,839 subs2022: 1,127,718,336 subs2023: 1,154,932,448 subs2024: 1,090,247,826 subs
Change over the period: +1.09B

Comparison, 2024

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

NATO 1.09B subs
World 9.01B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — NATO, by year NATO All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 1.09B −64.68M −5.6%
2023 1.15B +27.21M +2.41%
2022 1.13B +24.56M +2.23%
2021 1.1B +22.65M +2.1%
2020 1.08B −6.88M −0.63%
2019 1.09B +11.25M +1.05%
2018 1.08B +8.74M +0.82%
2017 1.07B +8.37M +0.79%
2016 1.06B +12.75M +1.22%
2015 1.05B +5.26M +0.51%
2014 1.04B +8.78M +0.85%
2013 1.03B +15.99M +1.57%
2012 1.02B +21.26M +2.14%
2011 995M +31.68M +3.29%
2010 963M +1.5M +0.16%
2009 962M +13.81M +1.46%
2008 948M +45.62M +5.06%
2007 902M +83.65M +10.22%
2006 819M +84.15M +11.46%
2005 735M +79.95M +12.21%
2004 655M +74.31M +12.8%
2003 580M +60.31M +11.6%
2002 520M +49.93M +10.62%
2001 470M +79.79M +20.44%
2000 390M +127M +48.45%
1999 263M +90.23M +52.26%
1998 173M +55.69M +47.61%
1997 117M +33.42M +39.99%
1996 83.56M +24.27M +40.94%
1995 59.29M +18.9M +46.8%
1994 40.39M +14.33M +54.97%
1993 26.06M +8.2M +45.92%
1992 17.86M +5.13M +40.33%
1991 12.73M +3.63M +39.94%
1990 9.1M +2.88M +46.43%
1989 6.21M +2.43M +64.39%
1988 3.78M +1.53M +68.21%
1987 2.25M +965,776 +75.43%
1986 1.28M +616,024 +92.72%
1985 664,362 +393,188 +144.99%
1984 271,174 +153,081 +129.63%
1983 118,093 +38,718 +48.78%
1982 79,375 +29,065 +57.77%
1981 50,310 +26,828 +114.25%
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.