Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Eastern Africa

Number of mobile subscriptions in Eastern Africa in 2023 — 380,102,915 subs.

2023 380M subs +8.6% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 380M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2023 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Eastern Africa, 1960–20230100M200M300M400M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 2,200 subs1991: 2,500 subs1992: 4,012 subs1993: 5,552 subs1994: 8,745 subs1995: 23,104 subs1996: 47,142 subs1997: 101,435 subs1998: 207,443 subs1999: 541,005 subs2000: 1,252,556 subs2001: 2,473,179 subs2002: 3,861,001 subs2003: 6,106,820 subs2004: 9,365,653 subs2005: 15,025,570 subs2006: 24,393,303 subs2007: 37,945,143 subs2008: 59,631,627 subs2009: 78,988,309 subs2010: 106,034,903 subs2011: 134,456,019 subs2012: 155,161,823 subs2013: 173,048,835 subs2014: 194,300,940 subs2015: 227,240,980 subs2016: 235,090,936 subs2017: 231,418,508 subs2018: 206,234,605 subs2019: 267,650,042 subs2020: 289,653,517 subs2021: 325,960,191 subs2022: 349,990,272 subs2023: 380,102,915 subs
Change over the period: +380M

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa 380M subs
World 8.88B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Eastern Africa, by year Eastern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2023 380M +30.11M +8.6%
2022 350M +24.03M +7.37%
2021 326M +36.31M +12.53%
2020 290M +22M +8.22%
2019 268M +61.42M +29.78%
2018 206M −25.18M −10.88%
2017 231M −3.67M −1.56%
2016 235M +7.85M +3.45%
2015 227M +32.94M +16.95%
2014 194M +21.25M +12.28%
2013 173M +17.89M +11.53%
2012 155M +20.71M +15.4%
2011 134M +28.42M +26.8%
2010 106M +27.05M +34.24%
2009 78.99M +19.36M +32.46%
2008 59.63M +21.69M +57.15%
2007 37.95M +13.55M +55.56%
2006 24.39M +9.37M +62.35%
2005 15.03M +5.66M +60.43%
2004 9.37M +3.26M +53.36%
2003 6.11M +2.25M +58.17%
2002 3.86M +1.39M +56.11%
2001 2.47M +1.22M +97.45%
2000 1.25M +711,551 +131.52%
1999 541,005 +333,562 +160.8%
1998 207,443 +106,008 +104.51%
1997 101,435 +54,293 +115.17%
1996 47,142 +24,038 +104.04%
1995 23,104 +14,359 +164.2%
1994 8,745 +3,193 +57.51%
1993 5,552 +1,540 +38.38%
1992 4,012 +1,512 +60.48%
1991 2,500 +300 +13.64%
1990 2,200 +2,200
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.