Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — United Arab Emirates

Number of mobile subscriptions in the United Arab Emirates in 2024 — 22,407,833 subs. Ranked 56 in the world out of 151. Since 1982, the indicator has risen by 961,609.6%.

2024 22.41M subs +5.58% vs 2023
World rank 56of 151
Period maximum 22.41M subs2024
Period minimum 2,330 subs1982

Trend over time

1982–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — United Arab Emirates, 1982–2024010M20M30M1982198719921997200220072012201720221982: 2,330 subs1983: 3,564 subs1984: 4,936 subs1985: 7,924 subs1986: 11,191 subs1987: 13,711 subs1988: 13,823 subs1989: 24,946 subs1990: 33,578 subs1991: 43,008 subs1992: 48,919 subs1993: 70,586 subs1994: 91,488 subs1995: 128,968 subs1996: 193,834 subs1997: 309,373 subs1998: 493,278 subs1999: 832,267 subs2000: 1,428,115 subs2001: 1,909,303 subs2002: 2,428,071 subs2003: 2,972,331 subs2004: 3,683,117 subs2005: 4,534,143 subs2006: 5,519,293 subs2007: 7,731,508 subs2008: 9,357,735 subs2009: 10,671,878 subs2010: 10,926,019 subs2011: 11,727,401 subs2012: 13,775,252 subs2013: 16,063,547 subs2014: 16,819,024 subs2015: 17,942,560 subs2016: 19,905,093 subs2017: 19,826,224 subs2018: 20,081,015 subs2019: 19,602,815 subs2020: 18,374,332 subs2021: 18,237,084 subs2022: 20,036,039 subs2023: 21,222,847 subs2024: 22,407,833 subs
Change over the period: +22.41M (+961,609.57%) Average annual rate: 24.4 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates 22.41M subs
World 9.01B subs
Western Asia computed 296M subs
High-income countries computed 1.59B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — United Arab Emirates, by year United Arab Emirates All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 22.41M +1.18M +5.58%
2023 21.22M +1.19M +5.92%
2022 20.04M +1.8M +9.86%
2021 18.24M −137,248 −0.75%
2020 18.37M −1.23M −6.27%
2019 19.6M −478,200 −2.38%
2018 20.08M +254,791 +1.29%
2017 19.83M −78,869 −0.4%
2016 19.91M +1.96M +10.94%
2015 17.94M +1.12M +6.68%
2014 16.82M +755,477 +4.7%
2013 16.06M +2.29M +16.61%
2012 13.78M +2.05M +17.46%
2011 11.73M +801,382 +7.33%
2010 10.93M +254,141 +2.38%
2009 10.67M +1.31M +14.04%
2008 9.36M +1.63M +21.03%
2007 7.73M +2.21M +40.08%
2006 5.52M +985,150 +21.73%
2005 4.53M +851,026 +23.11%
2004 3.68M +710,786 +23.91%
2003 2.97M +544,260 +22.42%
2002 2.43M +518,768 +27.17%
2001 1.91M +481,188 +33.69%
2000 1.43M +595,848 +71.59%
1999 832,267 +338,989 +68.72%
1998 493,278 +183,905 +59.44%
1997 309,373 +115,539 +59.61%
1996 193,834 +64,866 +50.3%
1995 128,968 +37,480 +40.97%
1994 91,488 +20,902 +29.61%
1993 70,586 +21,667 +44.29%
1992 48,919 +5,911 +13.74%
1991 43,008 +9,430 +28.08%
1990 33,578 +8,632 +34.6%
1989 24,946 +11,123 +80.47%
1988 13,823 +112 +0.82%
1987 13,711 +2,520 +22.52%
1986 11,191 +3,267 +41.23%
1985 7,924 +2,988 +60.53%
1984 4,936 +1,372 +38.5%
1983 3,564 +1,234 +52.96%
1982 2,330

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.