Number of global mobile subscriptions 1993-2024

As of 2024, there were more than 9.1 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide, up from almost 8.9 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 over 8.1 billion as of 2024, the number of mobile subscriptions 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 improved download speeds. The adoption of 5G has been a point of focus in recent years, with the number of subscriptions forecast to exceed 6.3 billion worldwide by 2030.