Sub-Saharan Africa vs United States: Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
Sub-Saharan Africa
65.5%
in 2025
United States
97.1%
in 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
33rd
United States rank
36th
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex over time
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 97.1% against 65.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 31.6%.
That makes United States's figure about 1.5 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 6 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 33rd and United States ranks 36th of 38 groups.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sub-Saharan Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 56.1% | 95.1% | 39.0% | United States |
| 2020s | 63.2% | 96.1% | 32.9% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex, Sub-Saharan Africa or United States?
- United States, at 97.1% against 65.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex between Sub-Saharan Africa and United States?
- 31.6%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and United States?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 2019 to 2024.
- How do Sub-Saharan Africa and United States rank globally for proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 33rd and United States ranks 36th of 38 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.