Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — South Korea

Number of mobile subscriptions in South Korea in 2024 — 89,223,311 subs. Ranked 20 in the world out of 151.

2024 89.22M subs +6.36% vs 2023
World rank 20of 151
Period maximum 89.22M subs2024
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — South Korea, 1960–2024025M50M75M100M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 0 subs1981: 0 subs1982: 0 subs1983: 0 subs1986: 7,090 subs1987: 10,255 subs1988: 20,353 subs1989: 39,718 subs1990: 80,005 subs1991: 166,108 subs1992: 271,927 subs1993: 471,784 subs1994: 960,258 subs1995: 1,641,293 subs1996: 3,180,989 subs1997: 6,878,786 subs1998: 14,018,612 subs1999: 23,442,724 subs2000: 26,816,398 subs2001: 29,045,596 subs2002: 32,342,493 subs2003: 33,591,758 subs2004: 36,586,052 subs2005: 38,342,323 subs2006: 40,197,115 subs2007: 44,369,165 subs2008: 45,606,984 subs2009: 47,944,222 subs2010: 50,767,241 subs2011: 52,506,793 subs2012: 53,624,427 subs2013: 54,680,840 subs2014: 57,290,356 subs2015: 58,935,081 subs2016: 61,295,538 subs2017: 63,658,688 subs2018: 66,355,778 subs2019: 68,892,541 subs2020: 70,513,676 subs2021: 72,855,492 subs2022: 76,992,107 subs2023: 83,891,773 subs2024: 89,223,311 subs
Change over the period: +89.22M

Comparison, 2024

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

South Korea 89.22M subs
World 9.01B subs
East Asia & Pacific 3.19B subs
Eastern Asia computed 1.99B subs
High-income countries computed 1.59B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — South Korea, by year South Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 89.22M +5.33M +6.36%
2023 83.89M +6.9M +8.96%
2022 76.99M +4.14M +5.68%
2021 72.86M +2.34M +3.32%
2020 70.51M +1.62M +2.35%
2019 68.89M +2.54M +3.82%
2018 66.36M +2.7M +4.24%
2017 63.66M +2.36M +3.86%
2016 61.3M +2.36M +4.01%
2015 58.94M +1.64M +2.87%
2014 57.29M +2.61M +4.77%
2013 54.68M +1.06M +1.97%
2012 53.62M +1.12M +2.13%
2011 52.51M +1.74M +3.43%
2010 50.77M +2.82M +5.89%
2009 47.94M +2.34M +5.12%
2008 45.61M +1.24M +2.79%
2007 44.37M +4.17M +10.38%
2006 40.2M +1.85M +4.84%
2005 38.34M +1.76M +4.8%
2004 36.59M +2.99M +8.91%
2003 33.59M +1.25M +3.86%
2002 32.34M +3.3M +11.35%
2001 29.05M +2.23M +8.31%
2000 26.82M +3.37M +14.39%
1999 23.44M +9.42M +67.23%
1998 14.02M +7.14M +103.79%
1997 6.88M +3.7M +116.25%
1996 3.18M +1.54M +93.81%
1995 1.64M +681,035 +70.92%
1994 960,258 +488,474 +103.54%
1993 471,784 +199,857 +73.5%
1992 271,927 +105,819 +63.7%
1991 166,108 +86,103 +107.62%
1990 80,005 +40,287 +101.43%
1989 39,718 +19,365 +95.15%
1988 20,353 +10,098 +98.47%
1987 10,255 +3,165 +44.64%
1986 7,090
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, 2024

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

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.