Mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Mobile phone subscriptions was 25.63 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
25.63 million
Change on year
up 11.3%
World rank
56th
of 212 countries
All-time high
25.63 million
in 2024
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan, 1980–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 01986: 01987: 01988: 01989: 01990: 01991: 01992: 01993: 01994: 01995: 01996: 01997: 01998: 01999: 02000: 02001: 02002: 25.0k2003: 200.0k2004: 600.0k2005: 1.2M2006: 2.5M2007: 4.7M2008: 7.9M2009: 10.5M2010: 10.2M2011: 13.8M2012: 15.3M2013: 16.8M2014: 18.4M2015: 19.7M2016: 21.6M2017: 23.9M2018: 22.0M2019: 22.6M2020: 22.7M2021: 22.7M2022: 22.8M2023: 23.0M2024: 25.6M

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan stood at 25.63 million. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 11.3% on the previous year and up 39.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan peaked at 25.63 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

Afghanistan ranks 56th of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0 0 0 10
1990s 0 0 0 10
2000s 2.76 million 0 10.50 million 10
2010s 18.44 million 10.22 million 23.93 million 10
2020s 23.37 million 22.68 million 25.63 million 5

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 53 Chile 26.22 million compare
  2. 54 Kazakhstan 26.17 million compare
  3. 55 Mali 25.87 million compare
  4. 57 Madagascar 23.54 million compare
  5. 58 Netherlands 23.43 million compare
  6. 59 Zambia 23.17 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Afghanistan was 25.63 million in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 25.63 million in 2024.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Afghanistan rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Afghanistan ranks 56th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Mobile phone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Mobile phone subscriptions
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 9,009 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed