Japan vs Russia: Mobile phone subscriptions
Japan
221.92 million
in 2023
Russia
269.52 million
in 2024
Japan rank
6th
Russia rank
5th
Mobile phone subscriptions over time
- Japan
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 269.52 million against 221.92 million in Japan, a difference of 47.60 million.
That makes Russia's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Russia ahead.
Japan ranks 6th and Russia ranks 5th of 212 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and Russia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 114,082 | 0 | 114,082 | Japan |
| 1990s | 19.14 million | 295,824 | 18.85 million | Japan |
| 2000s | 93.12 million | 100.99 million | 7.87 million | Russia |
| 2010s | 156.95 million | 224.18 million | 67.23 million | Russia |
| 2020s | 207.05 million | 248.40 million | 41.35 million | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mobile phone subscriptions, Japan or Russia?
- Russia, at 269.52 million against 221.92 million in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in mobile phone subscriptions between Japan and Russia?
- 47.60 million, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Russia?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Japan and Russia rank globally for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Japan ranks 6th and Russia ranks 5th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Mobile phone subscriptions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.