Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — United Kingdom

Number of mobile subscriptions in the United Kingdom in 2024 — 84,102,000 subs. Ranked 23 in the world out of 151.

2024 84.1M subs −0.27% vs 2023
World rank 23of 151
Period maximum 84.33M subs2023
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — United Kingdom, 1960–2024025M50M75M100M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 50,000 subs1986: 130,000 subs1987: 290,000 subs1988: 560,000 subs1989: 975,000 subs1990: 1,114,000 subs1991: 1,260,000 subs1992: 1,507,000 subs1993: 2,268,000 subs1994: 3,940,000 subs1995: 5,735,785 subs1996: 7,248,355 subs1997: 8,841,000 subs1998: 14,878,000 subs1999: 27,185,000 subs2000: 43,452,000 subs2001: 46,283,000 subs2002: 49,228,000 subs2003: 54,256,221 subs2004: 59,687,915 subs2005: 65,471,665 subs2006: 70,077,926 subs2007: 73,836,210 subs2008: 74,940,937 subs2009: 76,481,053 subs2010: 76,729,827 subs2011: 77,162,298 subs2012: 78,329,355 subs2013: 78,673,978 subs2014: 78,460,684 subs2015: 79,250,793 subs2016: 78,931,386 subs2017: 79,099,000 subs2018: 78,891,000 subs2019: 80,701,000 subs2020: 79,007,000 subs2021: 79,773,000 subs2022: 81,702,000 subs2023: 84,330,000 subs2024: 84,102,000 subs
Change over the period: +84.1M

Comparison, 2024

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

United Kingdom 84.1M subs
World 9.01B subs
Northern Europe computed 134M subs
High-income countries computed 1.59B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — United Kingdom, by year United Kingdom All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 84.1M −228,000 −0.27%
2023 84.33M +2.63M +3.22%
2022 81.7M +1.93M +2.42%
2021 79.77M +766,000 +0.97%
2020 79.01M −1.69M −2.1%
2019 80.7M +1.81M +2.29%
2018 78.89M −208,000 −0.26%
2017 79.1M +167,614 +0.21%
2016 78.93M −319,407 −0.4%
2015 79.25M +790,109 +1.01%
2014 78.46M −213,294 −0.27%
2013 78.67M +344,623 +0.44%
2012 78.33M +1.17M +1.51%
2011 77.16M +432,471 +0.56%
2010 76.73M +248,774 +0.33%
2009 76.48M +1.54M +2.06%
2008 74.94M +1.1M +1.5%
2007 73.84M +3.76M +5.36%
2006 70.08M +4.61M +7.04%
2005 65.47M +5.78M +9.69%
2004 59.69M +5.43M +10.01%
2003 54.26M +5.03M +10.21%
2002 49.23M +2.95M +6.36%
2001 46.28M +2.83M +6.52%
2000 43.45M +16.27M +59.84%
1999 27.19M +12.31M +82.72%
1998 14.88M +6.04M +68.28%
1997 8.84M +1.59M +21.97%
1996 7.25M +1.51M +26.37%
1995 5.74M +1.8M +45.58%
1994 3.94M +1.67M +73.72%
1993 2.27M +761,000 +50.5%
1992 1.51M +247,000 +19.6%
1991 1.26M +146,000 +13.11%
1990 1.11M +139,000 +14.26%
1989 975,000 +415,000 +74.11%
1988 560,000 +270,000 +93.1%
1987 290,000 +160,000 +123.08%
1986 130,000 +80,000 +160%
1985 50,000 +50,000
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.