Mobile phone subscriptions in Italy

Italy: Mobile phone subscriptions was 78.67 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
78.67 million
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
25th
of 212 countries
All-time high
97.19 million
in 2012
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Italy, 1980–2024

020.0M40.0M60.0M80.0M100.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 6.4k1986: 9.0k1987: 16.5k1988: 33.6k1989: 66.1k1990: 266.0k1991: 568.0k1992: 783.0k1993: 1.2M1994: 2.2M1995: 3.9M1996: 6.4M1997: 11.7M1998: 20.5M1999: 30.3M2000: 42.2M2001: 51.2M2002: 54.2M2003: 56.8M2004: 62.8M2005: 71.5M2006: 80.4M2007: 89.8M2008: 90.3M2009: 90.0M2010: 93.7M2011: 96.0M2012: 97.2M2013: 96.9M2014: 89.9M2015: 87.7M2016: 86.0M2017: 83.9M2018: 83.3M2019: 79.5M2020: 77.6M2021: 78.1M2022: 78.5M2023: 78.5M2024: 78.7M

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

Analysis

In 2024, mobile phone subscriptions in Italy stood at 78.67 million.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Italy peaked at 97.19 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

Italy ranks 25th of 212 countries on this measure, 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 13,167 0 66,070 10
1990s 7.79 million 266,000 30.30 million 10
2000s 68.93 million 42.25 million 90.34 million 10
2010s 89.40 million 79.48 million 97.19 million 10
2020s 78.27 million 77.58 million 78.67 million 5

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 22 Tanzania 86.77 million compare
  2. 23 Ethiopia 85.95 million compare
  3. 24 United Kingdom 84.10 million compare
  4. 26 France 77.53 million compare
  5. 27 Kenya 71.38 million compare
  6. 28 Argentina 64.08 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Italy?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Italy was 78.67 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 97.19 million in 2012.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Italy rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Italy ranks 25th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Italy 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
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