Fixed telephone subscriptions by country

Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.

Countries reporting
212
Highest
166.51 million
China
Lowest
0
Chad
Median
255,777
Years covered
66
1960–2025
Data points
14,482

What the numbers show

Fixed telephone subscriptions is currently reported for 212 countries. The highest value is 166.51 million in China; the lowest is 0 in Chad.

The median across all reporting countries is 255,777, and the mean is 3.87 million.

Over the past decade 57 countries rose and 150 fell. The largest increase was in Gabon (up 262.8%), and the largest decrease in Bhutan (down 100.0%).

Fixed telephone subscriptions: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 China 166.51 million 2024 down 33.2% volatile
2 United States 81.55 million 2024 down 36.5% rising
3 Japan 59.33 million 2023 down 7.3% rising
4 India 39.24 million 2024 up 45.3% volatile
5 Germany 38.40 million 2024 down 18.3% volatile
6 France 37.28 million 2023 down 4.6% volatile
7 Mexico 29.52 million 2024 up 59.0% volatile
8 Iran 28.23 million 2024 down 3.9% volatile
9 United Kingdom 23.77 million 2024 down 28.5% rising
10 Brazil 22.55 million 2024 down 48.9% volatile
11 South Korea 21.29 million 2024 down 27.8% volatile
12 Russia 20.82 million 2023 down 48.6% rising
13 Italy 20.30 million 2024 down 1.4% rising
14 Spain 18.23 million 2024 down 5.2% volatile
15 Egypt 13.25 million 2024 up 109.8% volatile
16 Canada 10.97 million 2024 down 33.1% rising
17 Turkey 9.03 million 2024 down 28.0% volatile
18 Malaysia 8.22 million 2024 up 86.4% volatile
19 Algeria 6.93 million 2024 up 123.7% volatile
20 Saudi Arabia 6.71 million 2024 up 35.8% volatile
21 Argentina 6.42 million 2024 down 34.6% volatile
22 Uzbekistan 6.32 million 2024 up 152.1% volatile
23 Colombia 6.32 million 2024 down 12.0% volatile
24 Australia 5.95 million 2024 down 35.2% rising
25 Portugal 5.53 million 2024 up 20.4% volatile
26 Iraq 5.28 million 2024 up 170.9% volatile
27 Greece 4.69 million 2024 down 11.8% volatile
28 Indonesia 4.65 million 2024 down 82.3% volatile
29 Philippines 4.42 million 2024 up 43.0% volatile
30 Poland 4.41 million 2024 down 54.6% volatile
31 Belarus 4.14 million 2024 down 8.2% volatile
32 Netherlands 3.98 million 2024 down 42.8% rising
33 Thailand 3.90 million 2024 down 31.4% volatile
34 Austria 3.48 million 2024 down 1.1% rising
35 Hong Kong 3.31 million 2024 down 25.2% volatile
36 Morocco 3.04 million 2024 up 22.1% volatile
37 Syria 2.84 million 2024 down 21.7% volatile
38 Switzerland 2.73 million 2024 down 37.6% rising
39 Vietnam 2.64 million 2024 down 60.7% volatile
40 Israel 2.56 million 2023 down 24.7% volatile
41 Pakistan 2.54 million 2024 down 48.1% volatile
42 Hungary 2.52 million 2024 down 16.4% volatile
43 Belgium 2.49 million 2024 down 45.1% rising
44 Kazakhstan 2.44 million 2024 down 43.9% volatile
45 Serbia 2.42 million 2024 down 15.2% falling
46 Venezuela 2.42 million 2024 down 69.1% volatile
47 United Arab Emirates 2.29 million 2024 up 9.0% volatile
48 Singapore 2.04 million 2024 up 2.2% volatile
49 Guatemala 1.98 million 2024 up 15.4% volatile
50 Tunisia 1.96 million 2024 up 106.5% volatile
51 Chile 1.74 million 2024 down 49.3% volatile
52 Romania 1.72 million 2024 down 62.2% volatile
53 Cuba 1.59 million 2024 up 25.8% volatile
54 Sri Lanka 1.58 million 2024 down 41.6% volatile
55 Ukraine 1.43 million 2023 down 87.9% volatile
56 Peru 1.40 million 2024 down 53.9% volatile
57 Azerbaijan 1.33 million 2024 down 26.2% volatile
58 Laos 1.23 million 2023 up 75.8% volatile
59 Ecuador 1.22 million 2024 down 50.1% volatile
60 Libya 1.22 million 2022 up 49.7% volatile
61 Uruguay 1.21 million 2024 up 11.4% volatile
62 North Korea 1.18 million 2022 up 0.0% rising
63 Czechia 1.16 million 2024 down 42.1% rising
64 Dominican Republic 1.15 million 2024 down 6.3% volatile
65 Croatia 1.10 million 2024 down 29.7% volatile
66 Ireland 1.08 million 2024 down 46.7% volatile
67 South Africa 1.01 million 2024 down 72.2% volatile
68 Lebanon 924,461 2022 up 6.6% rising
69 El Salvador 885,101 2024 down 7.2% volatile
70 Sweden 796,716 2024 down 78.9% flat
71 Panama 774,060 2023 up 34.1% volatile
72 Puerto Rico 773,022 2024 down 6.1% rising
73 Ethiopia 765,634 2024 down 6.6% volatile
74 Turkmenistan 735,547 2022 up 27.9% volatile
75 Moldova 734,202 2024 down 39.7% volatile
76 Yemen 727,821 2022 down 34.1% volatile
77 Denmark 697,867 2024 down 62.7% rising
78 Costa Rica 610,457 2024 down 30.7% volatile
79 Slovenia 607,443 2024 down 21.1% rising
80 Bosnia and Herzegovina 583,045 2024 down 31.3% rising
81 Kuwait 572,621 2023 up 12.7% volatile
82 New Zealand 564,000 2024 down 69.5% rising
83 Myanmar 558,671 2024 up 6.1% volatile
84 Bulgaria 551,943 2024 down 69.6% falling
85 Qatar 524,643 2024 up 25.6% volatile
86 Mongolia 519,169 2024 up 127.4% volatile
87 Jordan 485,928 2024 up 29.4% volatile
88 Mauritius 468,800 2024 up 26.0% volatile
89 Honduras 459,820 2024 down 12.8% volatile
90 North Macedonia 456,183 2024 up 18.9% rising
91 Slovakia 454,876 2024 down 50.5% volatile
92 Jamaica 453,882 2024 up 78.3% volatile
93 Oman 435,596 2024 up 16.1% volatile
94 Nepal 407,925 2024 down 51.3% volatile
95 Palestine 383,653 2023 down 4.8% rising
96 Bolivia 368,926 2024 down 57.9% volatile
97 Mali 306,900 2022 up 174.1% volatile
98 Zimbabwe 298,047 2024 down 9.5% volatile
99 Trinidad and Tobago 297,734 2024 up 3.0% volatile
100 Armenia 297,328 2024 down 48.1% rising
101 Senegal 297,046 2024 down 4.8% volatile
102 Bangladesh 284,748 2024 down 70.8% volatile
103 Ghana 269,356 2024 up 3.4% volatile
104 Luxembourg 260,060 2022 down 2.5% rising
105 Georgia 258,038 2024 down 76.5% rising
106 Bahrain 256,054 2024 down 10.1% volatile
107 Malta 255,500 2024 up 10.9% volatile
108 Cyprus 245,464 2024 down 25.1% volatile
109 Nicaragua 244,832 2024 down 27.9% volatile
110 Cote d'Ivoire 244,702 2024 up 0.8% volatile
111 Tajikistan 229,778 2023 down 45.9% rising
112 Estonia 227,420 2024 down 44.2% rising
113 Paraguay 205,511 2023 down 53.0% volatile
114 Latvia 204,756 2024 down 48.8% falling
115 Lithuania 201,462 2024 down 65.7% volatile
116 Uganda 195,975 2024 down 39.6% volatile
117 Montenegro 192,212 2024 up 16.7% rising
118 Afghanistan 181,963 2023 up 90.0% volatile
119 Papua New Guinea 172,691 2022 up 24.2% volatile
120 Albania 165,380 2024 down 29.8% volatile
121 Kyrgyzstan 156,698 2024 down 64.6% rising
122 Sudan 155,802 2022 down 63.3% volatile
123 Finland 150,000 2024 down 76.5% volatile
124 Brunei 128,276 2024 up 79.0% volatile
125 Suriname 124,064 2024 up 46.1% volatile
126 Guyana 123,604 2022 down 19.8% volatile
127 Barbados 121,314 2022 down 15.4% volatile
128 Niger 117,563 2024 up 11.6% volatile
130 Nigeria 102,714 2024 down 44.0% volatile
131 Bahamas 93,084 2024 down 25.9% rising
132 Botswana 83,182 2024 down 50.8% volatile
133 Burkina Faso 81,718 2024 down 34.4% volatile
134 Macao 81,260 2024 down 47.1% volatile
135 Angola 80,267 2024 down 72.1% volatile
136 Togo 78,576 2024 up 47.4% volatile
137 Tanzania 78,299 2024 down 48.2% volatile
138 Fiji 77,765 2024 up 2.7% volatile
139 Namibia 77,390 2024 down 57.6% volatile
140 United States Virgin Islands 75,836 2022 down 0.2% rising
141 Zambia 73,688 2024 down 35.6% volatile
142 Norway 73,208 2024 down 93.2% volatile
143 Guam 71,308 2022 up 6.4% volatile
144 Iceland 68,518 2024 down 60.1% rising
145 Eritrea 68,216 2022 up 13.5% rising
146 Cameroon 67,507 2024 down 94.2% volatile
147 Gabon 67,119 2024 up 262.8% rising
148 French Polynesia 65,969 2023 up 6.8% volatile
149 Cape Verde 61,294 2024 up 2.8% volatile
150 Kenya 57,017 2024 down 68.3% volatile
151 Somalia 55,005 2023 down 14.1% volatile
152 Andorra 53,215 2024 up 39.2% volatile
153 New Caledonia 46,570 2022 down 41.8% volatile
154 Curacao 45,974 2023 down 27.8% falling
155 Gambia 44,127 2024 down 21.0% volatile
156 Monaco 36,884 2024 down 27.1% volatile
157 Cayman Islands 35,773 2022 down 4.3% volatile
158 Eswatini 35,641 2024 down 19.7% volatile
159 Aruba 34,549 2022 down 4.0% rising
160 Saint Lucia 30,640 2022 down 16.8% volatile
161 Cambodia 29,080 2024 down 91.9% volatile
162 Djibouti 28,673 2023 up 38.6% volatile
163 Mozambique 28,329 2024 down 67.4% volatile
164 Bermuda 28,177 2024 down 3.6% volatile
165 Antigua and Barbuda 27,320 2022 down 17.6% volatile
166 British Virgin Islands 24,443 2024 up 106.3% volatile
167 Northern Mariana Islands 19,474 2022 down 15.3% rising
168 Belize 17,806 2022 down 29.9% volatile
169 Congo 17,604 2022 up 17.9% rising
170 Gibraltar 17,155 2022 down 25.8% volatile
171 Grenada 16,991 2022 down 38.7% volatile
172 Seychelles 16,166 2024 down 23.8% volatile
173 San Marino 16,000 2022 down 14.4% rising
174 Mauritania 15,997 2024 down 68.9% volatile
175 Saint Kitts and Nevis 15,602 2022 down 22.0% rising
176 Faroe Islands 14,940 2022 down 20.0% rising
177 Burundi 14,363 2023 down 32.4% volatile
178 Maldives 11,998 2024 down 46.8% volatile
179 Equatorial Guinea 11,389 2022 down 23.4% volatile
180 Liechtenstein 9,892 2024 down 45.2% rising
181 American Samoa 9,693 2022 down 3.1% rising
182 Rwanda 9,255 2024 down 81.3% volatile
183 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9,077 2024 down 62.0% volatile
184 Comoros 8,823 2023 down 61.6% volatile
185 Lesotho 7,980 2024 down 83.9% volatile
186 Dominica 7,459 2021 down 50.2% volatile
187 Solomon Islands 6,978 2022 down 13.4% rising
188 Micronesia (country) 6,476 2022 down 22.9% rising
189 Liberia 6,254 2022 down 54.5% flat
190 Palau 6,154 2022 down 16.0% flat
191 Greenland 4,996 2022 down 73.6% volatile
192 Malawi 4,869 2024 down 74.3% volatile
193 Samoa 4,567 2022 down 44.8% rising
194 Turks and Caicos Islands 4,052 2022 up 9.5% rising
195 Madagascar 3,413 2023 down 97.7% volatile
196 Tonga 3,280 2022 down 89.1% volatile
197 Vanuatu 3,036 2024 down 47.0% volatile
198 Tuvalu 2,113 2022 up 45.7% volatile
199 Central African Republic 2,088 2022 up 153.7% volatile
200 Marshall Islands 1,947 2022 down 17.5% volatile
201 Sao Tome and Principe 1,781 2024 down 73.8% volatile
202 East Timor 1,691 2024 down 52.5% falling
203 Haiti 1,357 2022 down 97.3% volatile
204 Benin 1,350 2024 down 99.3% volatile
205 Sierra Leone 269 2022 down 98.5% volatile
206 Kiribati 14 2024 down 99.3% volatile
207 Bhutan 0 2024 down 100.0% volatile
207 Democratic Republic of Congo 0 2024 volatile
207 Guinea 0 2022 volatile
207 Guinea-Bissau 0 2022 volatile
207 Nauru 0 2022 falling
207 South Sudan 0 2023 volatile
207 Chad 0 2024 down 100.0% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator
Fixed telephone subscriptions
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
260 places, 14,482 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.