Number of mobile subscriptions — all countries

Number of mobile subscriptions — Zambia

Number of mobile subscriptions in Zambia in 2024 — 23,170,376 subs. Ranked 53 in the world out of 151.

2024 23.17M subs +9.55% vs 2023
World rank 53of 151
Period maximum 23.17M subs2024
Period minimum 0 subs1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · subscriptions

Number of mobile subscriptions — Zambia, 1960–2024010M20M30M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 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: 0 subs1991: 0 subs1992: 0 subs1993: 0 subs1994: 0 subs1995: 1,547 subs1996: 2,721 subs1997: 4,550 subs1998: 8,260 subs1999: 28,190 subs2000: 98,853 subs2001: 121,200 subs2002: 139,092 subs2003: 241,000 subs2004: 464,354 subs2005: 949,559 subs2006: 1,663,328 subs2007: 2,639,026 subs2008: 3,539,003 subs2009: 4,406,682 subs2010: 5,446,991 subs2011: 8,164,553 subs2012: 10,524,676 subs2013: 10,395,801 subs2014: 10,114,867 subs2015: 11,557,725 subs2016: 12,017,034 subs2017: 13,438,539 subs2018: 15,470,270 subs2019: 17,220,607 subs2020: 19,104,208 subs2021: 20,247,111 subs2022: 19,838,000 subs2023: 21,151,203 subs2024: 23,170,376 subs
Change over the period: +23.17M

Comparison, 2024

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

Zambia 23.17M subs
World 9.01B subs
Sub-Saharan Africa 1.15B subs
Lower-middle-income countries computed 2.96B subs
Number of mobile subscriptions — Zambia, by year Zambia All countries CSV XLSX
Year subs Change Change, %
2024 23.17M +2.02M +9.55%
2023 21.15M +1.31M +6.62%
2022 19.84M −409,111 −2.02%
2021 20.25M +1.14M +5.98%
2020 19.1M +1.88M +10.94%
2019 17.22M +1.75M +11.31%
2018 15.47M +2.03M +15.12%
2017 13.44M +1.42M +11.83%
2016 12.02M +459,309 +3.97%
2015 11.56M +1.44M +14.26%
2014 10.11M −280,934 −2.7%
2013 10.4M −128,875 −1.22%
2012 10.52M +2.36M +28.91%
2011 8.16M +2.72M +49.89%
2010 5.45M +1.04M +23.61%
2009 4.41M +867,679 +24.52%
2008 3.54M +899,977 +34.1%
2007 2.64M +975,698 +58.66%
2006 1.66M +713,769 +75.17%
2005 949,559 +485,205 +104.49%
2004 464,354 +223,354 +92.68%
2003 241,000 +101,908 +73.27%
2002 139,092 +17,892 +14.76%
2001 121,200 +22,347 +22.61%
2000 98,853 +70,663 +250.67%
1999 28,190 +19,930 +241.28%
1998 8,260 +3,710 +81.54%
1997 4,550 +1,829 +67.22%
1996 2,721 +1,174 +75.89%
1995 1,547 +1,547
1994 0 +0
1993 0 +0
1992 0 +0
1991 0 +0
1990 0 +0
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.