Mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Mobile phone subscriptions was 4.10 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4.10 million
Change on year
up 15.9%
World rank
133rd
of 212 countries
All-time high
5.02 million
in 2022
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea, 1980–2024

02.0M4.0M6.0M1980200220241980: 01981: 01982: 01983: 01984: 01985: 01986: 01987: 01988: 01989: 01990: 01991: 01992: 01993: 01994: 01995: 01996: 2.3k1997: 3.9k1998: 5.6k1999: 7.1k2000: 8.6k2001: 10.7k2002: 15.0k2003: 17.5k2004: 48.3k2005: 75.0k2006: 100.0k2007: 300.0k2008: 874.0k2009: 1.4M2010: 1.9M2011: 2.4M2012: 2.7M2013: 3.0M2014: 3.4M2015: 3.6M2016: 3.8M2017: 4.0M2018: 4.3M2019: 4.5M2020: 4.8M2021: 4.8M2022: 5.0M2023: 3.5M2024: 4.1M

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea is 4.10 million, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 15.9% on the previous year and up 22.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea peaked at 5.02 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

That places Papua New Guinea 133rd 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 0 0 0 10
1990s 1,876 0 7,059 10
2000s 286,662 8,560 1.42 million 10
2010s 3.36 million 1.91 million 4.54 million 10
2020s 4.46 million 3.54 million 5.02 million 5

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

  1. 130 Lebanon 4.25 million compare
  2. 131 Palestine 4.15 million compare
  3. 132 Botswana 4.13 million compare
  4. 134 Puerto Rico 4.10 million compare
  5. 135 Armenia 4.01 million compare
  6. 136 Lithuania 3.97 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Papua New Guinea

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea?
Mobile phone subscriptions in Papua New Guinea was 4.10 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 Papua New Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 5.02 million in 2022.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
Papua New Guinea ranks 133rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Papua New Guinea 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