Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Sub-Saharan Africa

Number of mobile subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025 — 1,196,000,000 subs.

2025 1.2B subs +3.91% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 1.2B subs2025
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–20250500M1B1.5B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 3,980 subs1990: 7,880 subs1991: 9,600 subs1992: 17,406 subs1993: 59,142 subs1994: 372,608 subs1995: 601,706 subs1996: 1,083,260 subs1997: 2,087,517 subs1998: 3,872,303 subs1999: 6,466,858 subs2000: 11,445,272 subs2001: 17,046,727 subs2002: 25,098,099 subs2003: 35,687,622 subs2004: 54,212,996 subs2005: 90,368,334 subs2006: 135,233,899 subs2007: 184,823,777 subs2008: 261,134,046 subs2009: 316,759,711 subs2010: 387,953,418 subs2011: 471,725,434 subs2012: 544,447,403 subs2013: 618,078,177 subs2014: 680,980,483 subs2015: 752,000,000 subs2016: 752,400,000 subs2017: 765,200,000 subs2018: 825,900,000 subs2019: 881,800,000 subs2020: 944,000,000 subs2021: 995,000,000 subs2022: 1,076,000,000 subs2023: 1,134,000,000 subs2024: 1,151,000,000 subs2025: 1,196,000,000 subs
Change over the period: +1.2B

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 1.2B subs
World 9.17B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2025 1.2B +45M +3.91%
2024 1.15B +17M +1.5%
2023 1.13B +58M +5.39%
2022 1.08B +81M +8.14%
2021 995M +51M +5.4%
2020 944M +62.2M +7.05%
2019 882M +55.9M +6.77%
2018 826M +60.7M +7.93%
2017 765M +12.8M +1.7%
2016 752M +400,000 +0.05%
2015 752M +71.02M +10.43%
2014 681M +62.9M +10.18%
2013 618M +73.63M +13.52%
2012 544M +72.72M +15.42%
2011 472M +83.77M +21.59%
2010 388M +71.19M +22.48%
2009 317M +55.63M +21.3%
2008 261M +76.31M +41.29%
2007 185M +49.59M +36.67%
2006 135M +44.87M +49.65%
2005 90.37M +36.16M +66.69%
2004 54.21M +18.53M +51.91%
2003 35.69M +10.59M +42.19%
2002 25.1M +8.05M +47.23%
2001 17.05M +5.6M +48.94%
2000 11.45M +4.98M +76.98%
1999 6.47M +2.59M +67%
1998 3.87M +1.78M +85.5%
1997 2.09M +1M +92.71%
1996 1.08M +481,554 +80.03%
1995 601,706 +229,098 +61.48%
1994 372,608 +313,466 +530.02%
1993 59,142 +41,736 +239.78%
1992 17,406 +7,806 +81.31%
1991 9,600 +1,720 +21.83%
1990 7,880 +3,900 +97.99%
1989 3,980 +3,980
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.