Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — South Asia

Number of mobile subscriptions in South Asia in 2025 — 1,384,000,000 subs.

2025 1.38B subs −1.21% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 1.58B subs2018
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — South Asia, 1960–20250500M1B1.5B2B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 3,010 subs1991: 10,300 subs1992: 16,394 subs1993: 31,187 subs1994: 54,948 subs1995: 171,460 subs1996: 471,054 subs1997: 1,159,044 subs1998: 1,642,304 subs1999: 2,564,006 subs2000: 4,610,654 subs2001: 8,506,448 subs2002: 16,793,719 subs2003: 39,203,391 subs2004: 63,084,788 subs2005: 116,939,914 subs2006: 229,130,635 subs2007: 347,230,170 subs2008: 503,420,161 subs2009: 703,991,350 subs2010: 956,959,112 subs2011: 1,133,612,137 subs2012: 1,134,455,172 subs2013: 1,190,248,700 subs2014: 1,271,478,661 subs2015: 1,330,900,000 subs2016: 1,481,300,000 subs2017: 1,554,200,000 subs2018: 1,584,800,000 subs2019: 1,573,600,000 subs2020: 1,399,000,000 subs2021: 1,409,000,000 subs2022: 1,401,000,000 subs2023: 1,419,000,000 subs2024: 1,401,000,000 subs2025: 1,384,000,000 subs
Change over the period: +1.38B

Comparison, 2025

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

South Asia 1.38B subs
World 9.17B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — South Asia, by year South Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2025 1.38B −17M −1.21%
2024 1.4B −18M −1.27%
2023 1.42B +18M +1.28%
2022 1.4B −8M −0.57%
2021 1.41B +10M +0.71%
2020 1.4B −175M −11.1%
2019 1.57B −11.2M −0.71%
2018 1.58B +30.6M +1.97%
2017 1.55B +72.9M +4.92%
2016 1.48B +150M +11.3%
2015 1.33B +59.42M +4.67%
2014 1.27B +81.23M +6.82%
2013 1.19B +55.79M +4.92%
2012 1.13B +843,035 +0.07%
2011 1.13B +177M +18.46%
2010 957M +253M +35.93%
2009 704M +201M +39.84%
2008 503M +156M +44.98%
2007 347M +118M +51.54%
2006 229M +112M +95.94%
2005 117M +53.86M +85.37%
2004 63.08M +23.88M +60.92%
2003 39.2M +22.41M +133.44%
2002 16.79M +8.29M +97.42%
2001 8.51M +3.9M +84.5%
2000 4.61M +2.05M +79.82%
1999 2.56M +921,702 +56.12%
1998 1.64M +483,260 +41.69%
1997 1.16M +687,990 +146.05%
1996 471,054 +299,594 +174.73%
1995 171,460 +116,512 +212.04%
1994 54,948 +23,761 +76.19%
1993 31,187 +14,793 +90.23%
1992 16,394 +6,094 +59.17%
1991 10,300 +7,290 +242.19%
1990 3,010 +3,010
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.