Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Saudi Arabia

Number of mobile subscriptions in Saudi Arabia in 2024 — 54,184,648 subs. Ranked 32 in the world out of 151. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 364,755.2%.

2024 54.18M subs +3.24% vs 2023
World rank 32of 151
Period maximum 54.18M subs2024
Period minimum 14,851 subs1990

Trend over time

1990–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Saudi Arabia, 1990–2024020M40M60M19901994199820022006201020142018202220241990: 14,851 subs1991: 15,331 subs1992: 15,828 subs1993: 15,910 subs1994: 15,959 subs1995: 16,008 subs1996: 190,736 subs1997: 332,068 subs1998: 627,321 subs1999: 836,628 subs2000: 1,375,881 subs2001: 2,528,640 subs2002: 5,007,965 subs2003: 7,238,224 subs2004: 9,175,764 subs2005: 14,164,184 subs2006: 19,700,000 subs2007: 28,400,000 subs2008: 36,000,000 subs2009: 44,864,355 subs2010: 51,564,375 subs2011: 54,000,000 subs2012: 53,000,000 subs2013: 53,104,000 subs2014: 52,735,000 subs2015: 52,796,066 subs2016: 47,932,521 subs2017: 40,210,965 subs2018: 41,310,584 subs2019: 41,298,629 subs2020: 43,215,439 subs2021: 45,427,321 subs2022: 48,197,996 subs2023: 52,482,866 subs2024: 54,184,648 subs
Change over the period: +54.17M (+364,755.22%) Average annual rate: 27.28 %

Comparison, 2024

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

Saudi Arabia 54.18M subs
World 9.01B subs
Western Asia computed 296M subs
High-income countries computed 1.59B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Saudi Arabia, by year Saudi Arabia All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 54.18M +1.7M +3.24%
2023 52.48M +4.28M +8.89%
2022 48.2M +2.77M +6.1%
2021 45.43M +2.21M +5.12%
2020 43.22M +1.92M +4.64%
2019 41.3M −11,955 −0.03%
2018 41.31M +1.1M +2.73%
2017 40.21M −7.72M −16.11%
2016 47.93M −4.86M −9.21%
2015 52.8M +61,066 +0.12%
2014 52.74M −369,000 −0.69%
2013 53.1M +104,000 +0.2%
2012 53M −1M −1.85%
2011 54M +2.44M +4.72%
2010 51.56M +6.7M +14.93%
2009 44.86M +8.86M +24.62%
2008 36M +7.6M +26.76%
2007 28.4M +8.7M +44.16%
2006 19.7M +5.54M +39.08%
2005 14.16M +4.99M +54.37%
2004 9.18M +1.94M +26.77%
2003 7.24M +2.23M +44.53%
2002 5.01M +2.48M +98.05%
2001 2.53M +1.15M +83.78%
2000 1.38M +539,253 +64.46%
1999 836,628 +209,307 +33.37%
1998 627,321 +295,253 +88.91%
1997 332,068 +141,332 +74.1%
1996 190,736 +174,728 +1,091.5%
1995 16,008 +49 +0.31%
1994 15,959 +49 +0.31%
1993 15,910 +82 +0.52%
1992 15,828 +497 +3.24%
1991 15,331 +480 +3.23%
1990 14,851

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.