Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Fixed telephone subscriptions was 5.00 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Analysis
In 2025, fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 5.00 million.
The figure is down 16.7% on the previous year and down 52.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 13.19 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 844,742, in 1960.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 947,959 | 844,742 | 1.08 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.66 million | 1.35 million | 2.20 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.53 million | 2.38 million | 4.69 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.60 million | 5.04 million | 9.19 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.15 million | 9.20 million | 13.19 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.81 million | 7.80 million | 12.82 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.50 million | 5.00 million | 8.00 million | 6 |
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 90.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.20 billion (2025)
- Air transport, passengers carried 56.96 million (2023)
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide 717,259 (2023)
- Air transport, freight 4,829 million ton-km (2023)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources, total 3,884 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita 3,162 cubic meters (2022)
- Individuals using the Internet 35.2% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, domestic 13.9% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 5.00 million in 2025, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 13.19 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 844,742 in 1960.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.