South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Mobile phone subscribers
South Africa
1,265 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Sub-Saharan Africa
539.3 per 1,000 people
in 2011
South Africa rank
4th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
3rd
Mobile phone subscribers over time
- South Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1,265 per 1,000 people against 539.3 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 725.7 per 1,000 people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 2.3 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.
South Africa ranks 4th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd of 53 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | 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 | 0.0115 per 1,000 people | 0.0008 per 1,000 people | 0.0107 per 1,000 people | South Africa |
| 1990s | 29.35 per 1,000 people | 2.34 per 1,000 people | 27.01 per 1,000 people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 583.36 per 1,000 people | 144.97 per 1,000 people | 438.39 per 1,000 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,136 per 1,000 people | 498.53 per 1,000 people | 637.85 per 1,000 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mobile phone subscribers, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- South Africa, at 1,265 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 South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 725.7 per 1,000 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
- How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for mobile phone subscribers?
- South Africa ranks 4th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.