Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Sri Lanka

Number of mobile subscriptions in Sri Lanka in 2024 — 30,623,485 subs. Ranked 43 in the world out of 151.

2024 30.62M subs −6.3% vs 2023
World rank 43of 151
Period maximum 34.65M subs2022
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Sri Lanka, 1960–2024010M20M30M40M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 1,010 subs1991: 1,800 subs1992: 2,644 subs1993: 14,687 subs1994: 29,182 subs1995: 51,316 subs1996: 71,029 subs1997: 114,888 subs1998: 174,202 subs1999: 256,655 subs2000: 430,202 subs2001: 667,662 subs2002: 931,403 subs2003: 1,393,403 subs2004: 2,211,158 subs2005: 3,361,775 subs2006: 5,412,496 subs2007: 7,983,489 subs2008: 11,082,454 subs2009: 16,305,417 subs2010: 17,359,312 subs2011: 18,319,447 subs2012: 19,332,844 subs2013: 20,315,150 subs2014: 22,123,000 subs2015: 23,899,642 subs2016: 25,797,199 subs2017: 28,199,083 subs2018: 30,282,984 subs2019: 28,352,587 subs2020: 29,730,465 subs2021: 30,764,135 subs2022: 34,646,752 subs2023: 32,683,420 subs2024: 30,623,485 subs
Change over the period: +30.62M

Comparison, 2024

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

Sri Lanka 30.62M subs
World 9.01B subs
South Asia 1.4B subs
Southern Asia computed 1.78B subs
Lower-middle-income countries computed 2.96B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Sri Lanka, by year Sri Lanka All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 30.62M −2.06M −6.3%
2023 32.68M −1.96M −5.67%
2022 34.65M +3.88M +12.62%
2021 30.76M +1.03M +3.48%
2020 29.73M +1.38M +4.86%
2019 28.35M −1.93M −6.37%
2018 30.28M +2.08M +7.39%
2017 28.2M +2.4M +9.31%
2016 25.8M +1.9M +7.94%
2015 23.9M +1.78M +8.03%
2014 22.12M +1.81M +8.9%
2013 20.32M +982,306 +5.08%
2012 19.33M +1.01M +5.53%
2011 18.32M +960,135 +5.53%
2010 17.36M +1.05M +6.46%
2009 16.31M +5.22M +47.13%
2008 11.08M +3.1M +38.82%
2007 7.98M +2.57M +47.5%
2006 5.41M +2.05M +61%
2005 3.36M +1.15M +52.04%
2004 2.21M +817,755 +58.69%
2003 1.39M +462,000 +49.6%
2002 931,403 +263,741 +39.5%
2001 667,662 +237,460 +55.2%
2000 430,202 +173,547 +67.62%
1999 256,655 +82,453 +47.33%
1998 174,202 +59,314 +51.63%
1997 114,888 +43,859 +61.75%
1996 71,029 +19,713 +38.41%
1995 51,316 +22,134 +75.85%
1994 29,182 +14,495 +98.69%
1993 14,687 +12,043 +455.48%
1992 2,644 +844 +46.89%
1991 1,800 +790 +78.22%
1990 1,010 +1,010
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

Southern 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.