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Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — North Korea

Number of mobile subscriptions in North Korea in 2022 — 6,353,441 subs. Ranked 115 in the world out of 209.

2022 6.35M subs +5.89% vs 2021
World rank 115of 209
Period maximum 6.35M subs2022
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2022 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — North Korea, 1960–202202M4M6M8M19601967197419811988199520022009201620221960: 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: 0 subs1995: 0 subs1996: 0 subs1997: 0 subs1998: 0 subs1999: 0 subs2000: 0 subs2001: 0 subs2002: 0 subs2003: 0 subs2004: 0 subs2005: 0 subs2006: 0 subs2007: 0 subs2008: 0 subs2009: 69,261 subs2010: 431,919 subs2011: 1,000,000 subs2012: 1,700,000 subs2013: 2,420,000 subs2014: 2,800,000 subs2015: 3,240,000 subs2016: 3,606,000 subs2017: 3,810,000 subs2019: 4,253,000 subs2020: 6,000,000 subs2021: 6,000,000 subs2022: 6,353,441 subs
Change over the period: +6.35M

Comparison, 2022

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

North Korea 6.35M subs
World 8.65B subs
East Asia & Pacific 3.08B subs
Eastern Asia computed 2.09B subs
Low-income countries computed 447M subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — North Korea, by year North Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2022 6.35M +353,441 +5.89%
2021 6M +0 +0%
2020 6M +1.75M +41.08%
2019 4.25M — —
2017 3.81M +204,000 +5.66%
2016 3.61M +366,000 +11.3%
2015 3.24M +440,000 +15.71%
2014 2.8M +380,000 +15.7%
2013 2.42M +720,000 +42.35%
2012 1.7M +700,000 +70%
2011 1M +568,081 +131.52%
2010 431,919 +362,658 +523.61%
2009 69,261 +69,261 —
2008 0 +0 —
2007 0 +0 —
2006 0 +0 —
2005 0 +0 —
2004 0 +0 —
2003 0 +0 —
2002 0 +0 —
2001 0 +0 —
2000 0 +0 —
1999 0 +0 —
1998 0 +0 —
1997 0 +0 —
1996 0 +0 —
1995 0 +0 —
1994 0 +0 —
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 — —

Eastern Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

CN China 1.77B JP Japan 211M KR South Korea 76.99M HK Hong Kong 21.86M KP North Korea 6.35M MN Mongolia 4.84M MO Macao 1.21M
Full table for all countries

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.

Other indicators for North Korea

Internet Mobile cellular subscriptions

The number of mobile subscriptions per 100 people — often more than 100.

North Korea by year Internet Internet users

The share of the population that uses the internet.

North Korea by year Internet Fixed telephone lines

The number of fixed telephone lines per 100 people — a vanishing technology.

North Korea by year Internet Secure internet servers

The number of servers with TLS/SSL certificates per million people.

North Korea by year
All indicators for North Korea