Libya vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers

Libya
1,713 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Sub-Saharan Africa
553.27 per 1,000 people
in 2011
Libya rank
2nd
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
3rd

Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers over time

  • Libya
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
05001.0k1.5k2.0k196019852011

How they compare

Libya currently reports 1,713 per 1,000 people against 553.27 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 1,160 per 1,000 people.

That makes Libya's figure about 3.1 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 32 years both countries report, Libya has been ahead every year.

Libya ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd of 53 countries.

Libya has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Libya Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 6.25 per 1,000 people 5.08 per 1,000 people 1.17 per 1,000 people Libya
1980s 37.61 per 1,000 people 8.28 per 1,000 people 29.33 per 1,000 people Libya
1990s 70.79 per 1,000 people 13.75 per 1,000 people 57.04 per 1,000 people Libya
2000s 605.48 per 1,000 people 159.81 per 1,000 people 445.67 per 1,000 people Libya
2010s 1,811 per 1,000 people 512.85 per 1,000 people 1,298 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
Libya, at 1,713 per 1,000 people against 553.27 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2011.
What is the difference in telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers between Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa?
1,160 per 1,000 people, with Libya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa?
32 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2011.
How do Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers?
Libya ranks 2nd 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 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 Sub-Saharan Africa: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/telephone-mainlines-and-mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/libya/sub-saharan-africa/

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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.