Botswana vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Mobile phone subscribers

Botswana
1,428 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Sub-Saharan Africa
539.3 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Botswana rank
3rd
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
3rd

Mobile phone subscribers over time

  • Botswana
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
05001.0k1.5k196019852011

How they compare

Botswana currently reports 1,428 per 1,000 people against 539.3 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 888.7 per 1,000 people.

That makes Botswana's figure about 2.6 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 40 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.

Botswana ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd of 53 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Botswana averaged higher in 3 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Botswana Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people
1970s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people
1980s 0 per 1,000 people 0.0008 per 1,000 people 0.0008 per 1,000 people Sub-Saharan Africa
1990s 6.22 per 1,000 people 2.34 per 1,000 people 3.88 per 1,000 people Botswana
2000s 405.87 per 1,000 people 144.97 per 1,000 people 260.89 per 1,000 people Botswana
2010s 1,303 per 1,000 people 498.53 per 1,000 people 804.37 per 1,000 people Botswana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher mobile phone subscribers, Botswana or Sub-Saharan Africa?
Botswana, at 1,428 per 1,000 people against 539.3 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in mobile phone subscribers between Botswana and Sub-Saharan Africa?
888.7 per 1,000 people, with Botswana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and Sub-Saharan Africa?
40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Botswana and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for mobile phone subscribers?
Botswana ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Botswana vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Mobile phone subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/botswana/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
59 places, 2,350 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Mobile telephone subscribers are subscribers to a public mobile telephone service using cellular technology.