Mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland

Ireland: Mobile phone subscriptions was 5.92 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.92 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
121st
of 212 countries
All-time high
5.92 million
in 2024
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland, 1980–2024

02.0M4.0M6.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 3001986: 1.5k1987: 3.5k1988: 6.3k1989: 13.6k1990: 25.0k1991: 32.0k1992: 44.0k1993: 61.1k1994: 88.0k1995: 158.0k1996: 288.6k1997: 545.0k1998: 946.0k1999: 1.7M2000: 2.5M2001: 3.0M2002: 3.0M2003: 3.5M2004: 3.9M2005: 4.3M2006: 4.7M2007: 5.0M2008: 5.0M2009: 4.7M2010: 4.7M2011: 4.9M2012: 5.0M2013: 4.9M2014: 4.9M2015: 4.9M2016: 4.9M2017: 4.9M2018: 5.0M2019: 5.2M2020: 5.2M2021: 5.4M2022: 5.7M2023: 5.8M2024: 5.9M

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

Analysis

Ireland recorded 5.92 million for mobile phone subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland peaked at 5.92 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

That places Ireland 121st out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 2,515 0 13,579 10
1990s 386,470 25,000 1.68 million 10
2000s 3.95 million 2.46 million 5.05 million 10
2010s 4.92 million 4.70 million 5.16 million 10
2020s 5.59 million 5.23 million 5.92 million 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 118 Georgia 6.14 million compare
  2. 119 Norway 6.10 million compare
  3. 120 Congo 6.05 million compare
  4. 122 South Sudan 5.35 million compare
  5. 123 Fiji 5.33 million compare
  6. 124 Laos 4.96 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland was 5.92 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 Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 5.92 million in 2024.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Ireland rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Ireland ranks 121st out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland 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