Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Western Asia

Number of mobile subscriptions in Western Asia in 2024 — 295,844,612 subs.

2024 296M subs −7.2% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 319M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Western Asia, 1960–20240100M200M300M400M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 0 subs1965: 0 subs1970: 0 subs1975: 0 subs1976: 0 subs1977: 0 subs1978: 0 subs1979: 0 subs1980: 0 subs1981: 0 subs1982: 2,330 subs1983: 3,564 subs1984: 4,936 subs1985: 7,976 subs1986: 21,121 subs1987: 35,983 subs1988: 45,934 subs1989: 70,749 subs1990: 132,496 subs1991: 193,843 subs1992: 244,634 subs1993: 342,657 subs1994: 569,821 subs1995: 1,389,985 subs1996: 2,794,710 subs1997: 4,886,861 subs1998: 8,132,680 subs1999: 14,749,392 subs2000: 26,354,002 subs2001: 34,717,242 subs2002: 44,344,926 subs2003: 54,309,582 subs2004: 69,009,223 subs2005: 90,239,722 subs2006: 121,534,979 subs2007: 154,957,368 subs2008: 178,600,328 subs2009: 199,697,068 subs2010: 221,820,188 subs2011: 236,769,212 subs2012: 247,551,178 subs2013: 264,420,557 subs2014: 273,711,628 subs2015: 281,222,127 subs2016: 275,970,198 subs2017: 271,365,997 subs2018: 278,853,866 subs2019: 280,446,970 subs2020: 279,429,418 subs2021: 293,689,850 subs2022: 310,717,405 subs2023: 318,808,390 subs2024: 295,844,612 subs
Change over the period: +296M

Comparison, 2024

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

Western Asia 296M subs
World 9.01B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Western Asia, by year Western Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 296M −22.96M −7.2%
2023 319M +8.09M +2.6%
2022 311M +17.03M +5.8%
2021 294M +14.26M +5.1%
2020 279M −1.02M −0.36%
2019 280M +1.59M +0.57%
2018 279M +7.49M +2.76%
2017 271M −4.6M −1.67%
2016 276M −5.25M −1.87%
2015 281M +7.51M +2.74%
2014 274M +9.29M +3.51%
2013 264M +16.87M +6.81%
2012 248M +10.78M +4.55%
2011 237M +14.95M +6.74%
2010 222M +22.12M +11.08%
2009 200M +21.1M +11.81%
2008 179M +23.64M +15.26%
2007 155M +33.42M +27.5%
2006 122M +31.3M +34.68%
2005 90.24M +21.23M +30.76%
2004 69.01M +14.7M +27.07%
2003 54.31M +9.96M +22.47%
2002 44.34M +9.63M +27.73%
2001 34.72M +8.36M +31.73%
2000 26.35M +11.6M +78.68%
1999 14.75M +6.62M +81.36%
1998 8.13M +3.25M +66.42%
1997 4.89M +2.09M +74.86%
1996 2.79M +1.4M +101.06%
1995 1.39M +820,164 +143.93%
1994 569,821 +227,164 +66.29%
1993 342,657 +98,023 +40.07%
1992 244,634 +50,791 +26.2%
1991 193,843 +61,347 +46.3%
1990 132,496 +61,747 +87.28%
1989 70,749 +24,815 +54.02%
1988 45,934 +9,951 +27.65%
1987 35,983 +14,862 +70.37%
1986 21,121 +13,145 +164.81%
1985 7,976 +3,040 +61.59%
1984 4,936 +1,372 +38.5%
1983 3,564 +1,234 +52.96%
1982 2,330 +2,330
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.