Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Nigeria

Number of mobile subscriptions in Nigeria in 2024 — 164,648,433 subs. Ranked 9 in the world out of 151.

2024 165M subs −26.63% vs 2023
World rank 9of 151
Period maximum 224M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Nigeria, 1960–20240100M200M300M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 9,049 subs1994: 12,800 subs1995: 13,000 subs1996: 14,000 subs1997: 15,000 subs1998: 20,000 subs1999: 25,000 subs2000: 30,000 subs2001: 266,461 subs2002: 1,569,050 subs2003: 3,149,473 subs2004: 9,147,209 subs2005: 18,587,000 subs2006: 32,322,202 subs2007: 40,395,611 subs2008: 62,988,492 subs2009: 74,518,264 subs2010: 87,297,789 subs2011: 95,167,308 subs2012: 112,777,785 subs2013: 127,246,092 subs2014: 138,960,320 subs2015: 150,830,089 subs2016: 154,342,168 subs2017: 144,920,170 subs2018: 172,730,603 subs2019: 184,592,255 subs2020: 204,228,678 subs2021: 195,128,265 subs2022: 222,225,300 subs2023: 224,412,931 subs2024: 164,648,433 subs
Change over the period: +165M

Comparison, 2024

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

Nigeria 165M subs
World 9.01B subs
Sub-Saharan Africa 1.15B subs
Western Africa computed 367M subs
Lower-middle-income countries computed 2.96B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 165M −59.76M −26.63%
2023 224M +2.19M +0.98%
2022 222M +27.1M +13.89%
2021 195M −9.1M −4.46%
2020 204M +19.64M +10.64%
2019 185M +11.86M +6.87%
2018 173M +27.81M +19.19%
2017 145M −9.42M −6.1%
2016 154M +3.51M +2.33%
2015 151M +11.87M +8.54%
2014 139M +11.71M +9.21%
2013 127M +14.47M +12.83%
2012 113M +17.61M +18.5%
2011 95.17M +7.87M +9.01%
2010 87.3M +12.78M +17.15%
2009 74.52M +11.53M +18.3%
2008 62.99M +22.59M +55.93%
2007 40.4M +8.07M +24.98%
2006 32.32M +13.74M +73.9%
2005 18.59M +9.44M +103.2%
2004 9.15M +6M +190.44%
2003 3.15M +1.58M +100.72%
2002 1.57M +1.3M +488.85%
2001 266,461 +236,461 +788.2%
2000 30,000 +5,000 +20%
1999 25,000 +5,000 +25%
1998 20,000 +5,000 +33.33%
1997 15,000 +1,000 +7.14%
1996 14,000 +1,000 +7.69%
1995 13,000 +200 +1.56%
1994 12,800 +3,751 +41.45%
1993 9,049 +9,049
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.