Mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Mobile cellular subscriptions was 93.1 per 100 people in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960–2025
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
In 2025, mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 93.1 per 100 people. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 6.6% on the previous year and up 40.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 93.1 per 100 people in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0013 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3632 per 100 people | 0.0026 per 100 people | 1.54 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.67 per 100 people | 2.53 per 100 people | 32.61 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.56 per 100 people | 38.53 per 100 people | 67.9 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.83 per 100 people | 69.9 per 100 people | 93.1 per 100 people | 6 |
More infrastructure data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 3.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 734.00 million (2025)
- Air transport, passengers carried 46.18 million (2023)
- Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide 586,002 (2023)
- Air transport, freight 4,761 million ton-km (2023)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources, total 1,985 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita 2,713 cubic meters (2022)
- Individuals using the Internet 30.4% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, domestic 10.4% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Mobile cellular subscriptions in Africa Eastern and Southern was 93.1 per 100 people in 2025, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- What is the highest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 93.1 per 100 people in 2025.
- What is the lowest mobile cellular subscriptions recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- Is mobile cellular subscriptions rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provide access to the PSTN using cellular technology. The indicator includes (and is split into) the number of postpaid subscriptions, and the number of active prepaid accounts (i.e. that have been used during the last three months). The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. It excludes subscriptions via data cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging and telemetry services.