Libya vs South Africa: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers

Libya
1,713 per 1,000 people
in 2011
South Africa
1,347 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Libya rank
2nd
South Africa rank
4th

Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers over time

  • Libya
  • South Africa
05001.0k1.5k2.0k196019852011

How they compare

Libya currently reports 1,713 per 1,000 people against 1,347 per 1,000 people in South Africa, a difference of 366 per 1,000 people.

That makes Libya's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 32 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.

Libya ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 4th of 53 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Libya South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 6.25 per 1,000 people 37.37 per 1,000 people 31.12 per 1,000 people South Africa
1980s 37.61 per 1,000 people 75.34 per 1,000 people 37.74 per 1,000 people South Africa
1990s 70.79 per 1,000 people 134.34 per 1,000 people 63.55 per 1,000 people South Africa
2000s 605.48 per 1,000 people 684.05 per 1,000 people 78.58 per 1,000 people South Africa
2010s 1,811 per 1,000 people 1,219 per 1,000 people 591.11 per 1,000 people Libya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers, Libya or South Africa?
Libya, at 1,713 per 1,000 people against 1,347 per 1,000 people in South Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers between Libya and South Africa?
366 per 1,000 people, with Libya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Africa?
32 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Libya and South Africa rank globally for telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers?
Libya ranks 2nd 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 Telephone (mainlines and 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: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/telephone-mainlines-and-mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/libya/south-africa/

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<a href="https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/telephone-mainlines-and-mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/libya/south-africa/">Libya vs South Africa: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Telephone (mainlines and 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, 2,189 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Fixed lines are telephone mainlines connecting a customer's equipment to the public switched telephone network. Mobile phone subscribers refer to users of portable telephones subscribing to an automatic public mobile telephone service using cellular technology that provides access to the public switched telephone network.