Mobile phone subscriptions in Australia

Australia: Mobile phone subscriptions was 30.07 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
30.07 million
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
48th
of 212 countries
All-time high
30.07 million
in 2024
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Australia, 1980–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 01986: 01987: 4.4k1988: 31.6k1989: 94.5k1990: 184.9k1991: 291.5k1992: 497.0k1993: 690.0k1994: 1.2M1995: 2.2M1996: 4.0M1997: 4.6M1998: 4.9M1999: 6.3M2000: 8.6M2001: 11.1M2002: 12.7M2003: 14.3M2004: 16.5M2005: 18.4M2006: 19.8M2007: 21.3M2008: 22.1M2009: 22.2M2010: 22.5M2011: 23.8M2012: 24.3M2013: 24.9M2014: 25.1M2015: 25.8M2016: 26.6M2017: 26.7M2018: 27.6M2019: 28.0M2020: 27.0M2021: 27.3M2022: 28.7M2023: 29.8M2024: 30.1M

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

Analysis

In 2024, mobile phone subscriptions in Australia stood at 30.07 million. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Australia peaked at 30.07 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

That places Australia 48th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13,057 0 94,529 10
1990s 2.49 million 184,943 6.32 million 10
2000s 16.70 million 8.56 million 22.20 million 10
2010s 25.52 million 22.50 million 27.97 million 10
2020s 28.56 million 27.01 million 30.07 million 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 45 Sudan 34.67 million compare
  2. 46 Cameroon 31.52 million compare
  3. 47 Sri Lanka 30.62 million compare
  4. 49 Nepal 29.61 million compare
  5. 50 Burkina Faso 27.46 million compare
  6. 51 Hong Kong 27.05 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Australia?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Australia was 30.07 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 Australia?
The highest recorded value was 30.07 million in 2024.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Australia rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Australia ranks 48th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia 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

CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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