Number of global mobile subscriptions 1993-2023

As of 2023, there were almost 8.9 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide, up from around 8.6 billion the previous year. The number of subscriptions exceeded eight billion for the first time in 2019. 

Mobile subscriptions far outnumber landline subscriptions

With a global population of 7.9 billion as of 2022, the number of smartphone subscriptions now significantly exceeds the number of people on the planet. This has followed an extraordinary period of growth, with many mobile users paying for multiple subscriptions to meet various personal or work related demands. Mobile phone subscriptions have also long exceeded fixed voice subscriptions, with the number of landline connections worldwide falling below one billion in 2016.

Moving towards 5G

Fifth generation mobile technology, referred to as 5G, offers a range of benefits over previous iterations, namely reduced latency and increased bandwidth. The adoption of 5G has been a point of focus in recent years, with the number of subscriptions forecast to exceed 4.6 billion worldwide by 2028.