Mobile phone subscriptions in Benin
Benin: Mobile phone subscriptions was 18.21 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions in Benin, 1980–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Benin recorded 18.21 million for mobile phone subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 11.2% on the previous year and up 110.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Benin peaked at 18.21 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
That places Benin 68th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile phone subscriptions in Benin, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 1,050 | — |
| 1996 | 2,707 | +157.8% |
| 1997 | 4,295 | +58.7% |
| 1998 | 6,286 | +46.4% |
| 1999 | 7,269 | +15.6% |
| 2000 | 55,476 | +663.2% |
| 2001 | 125,000 | +125.3% |
| 2002 | 218,770 | +75.0% |
| 2003 | 236,175 | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 459,322 | +94.5% |
| 2005 | 596,267 | +29.8% |
| 2006 | 1.06 million | +77.1% |
| 2007 | 2.05 million | +94.3% |
| 2008 | 3.63 million | +76.7% |
| 2009 | 5.03 million | +38.8% |
| 2010 | 7.07 million | +40.6% |
| 2011 | 7.77 million | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 8.41 million | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 9.63 million | +14.5% |
| 2014 | 8.66 million | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 9.32 million | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 8.89 million | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 8.77 million | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 9.46 million | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 10.35 million | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 11.14 million | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 12.73 million | +14.3% |
| 2022 | 14.55 million | +14.3% |
| 2023 | 16.37 million | +12.5% |
| 2024 | 18.21 million | +11.2% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 18.21 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.17 million, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 18.21 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.69 million, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile phone subscriptions in Benin changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +663.2% | 7,269 | 55,476 |
| 1996 | +157.8% | 1,050 | 2,707 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,161 | 0 | 7,269 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.35 million | 55,476 | 5.03 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.83 million | 7.07 million | 10.35 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.60 million | 11.14 million | 18.21 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More science & technology data for Benin
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 125.94 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.26 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 18.21 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 145.21 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 8.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 437.17 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions in Benin?
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Benin was 18.21 million in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 18.21 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Benin rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Benin ranks 68th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 110.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Mobile phone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).