Mobile phone subscriptions in Canada

Canada: Mobile phone subscriptions was 37.40 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
37.40 million
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
44th
of 212 countries
All-time high
37.40 million
in 2024
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Canada, 1980–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 12.0k1986: 60.0k1987: 98.4k1988: 202.6k1989: 345.2k1990: 583.8k1991: 775.8k1992: 1.0M1993: 1.3M1994: 1.9M1995: 2.6M1996: 3.5M1997: 4.2M1998: 5.3M1999: 6.9M2000: 8.7M2001: 10.6M2002: 11.9M2003: 13.3M2004: 15.0M2005: 17.0M2006: 18.7M2007: 20.3M2008: 22.1M2009: 23.8M2010: 25.8M2011: 26.8M2012: 27.7M2013: 28.4M2014: 28.8M2015: 29.8M2016: 30.8M2017: 31.7M2018: 33.2M2019: 34.4M2020: 32.4M2021: 33.6M2022: 35.4M2023: 37.0M2024: 37.4M

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

Analysis

In 2024, mobile phone subscriptions in Canada stood at 37.40 million. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 29.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Canada peaked at 37.40 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

That places Canada 44th 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 71,818 0 345,178 10
1990s 2.81 million 583,766 6.91 million 10
2000s 16.15 million 8.73 million 23.81 million 10
2010s 29.73 million 25.83 million 34.37 million 10
2020s 35.16 million 32.36 million 37.40 million 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 41 Uganda 41.60 million compare
  2. 42 Uzbekistan 40.18 million compare
  3. 43 Ghana 39.13 million compare
  4. 45 Sudan 34.67 million compare
  5. 46 Cameroon 31.52 million compare
  6. 47 Sri Lanka 30.62 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Canada?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Canada was 37.40 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 Canada?
The highest recorded value was 37.40 million in 2024.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Canada rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Canada ranks 44th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada 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