Libya vs South Africa: Mobile phone subscribers

Libya
1,557 per 1,000 people
in 2011
South Africa
1,265 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Libya rank
1st
South Africa rank
4th

Mobile phone subscribers over time

  • Libya
  • South Africa
05001.0k1.5k196019852011

How they compare

Libya currently reports 1,557 per 1,000 people against 1,265 per 1,000 people in South Africa, a difference of 292 per 1,000 people.

That makes Libya's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.

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

Libya ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 4th of 53 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Libya South 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 0.0115 per 1,000 people 0.0115 per 1,000 people South Africa
1990s 1.18 per 1,000 people 29.35 per 1,000 people 28.17 per 1,000 people South Africa
2000s 462.37 per 1,000 people 583.36 per 1,000 people 120.99 per 1,000 people South Africa
2010s 1,636 per 1,000 people 1,136 per 1,000 people 499.67 per 1,000 people Libya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher mobile phone subscribers, Libya or South Africa?
Libya, at 1,557 per 1,000 people against 1,265 per 1,000 people in South Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in mobile phone subscribers between Libya and South Africa?
292 per 1,000 people, with Libya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Africa?
40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Libya and South Africa rank globally for mobile phone subscribers?
Libya ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 4th 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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Libya vs South Africa: Mobile phone subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/libya/south-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.