Mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador
Ecuador: Mobile phone subscriptions was 18.43 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador, 1980–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ecuador recorded 18.43 million for mobile phone subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador peaked at 18.43 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
Ecuador ranks 67th of 212 countries on this measure, 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 Ecuador, 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 | 18,920 | — |
| 1995 | 54,380 | +187.4% |
| 1996 | 59,779 | +9.9% |
| 1997 | 126,505 | +111.6% |
| 1998 | 242,812 | +91.9% |
| 1999 | 383,185 | +57.8% |
| 2000 | 482,213 | +25.8% |
| 2001 | 859,152 | +78.2% |
| 2002 | 1.56 million | +81.7% |
| 2003 | 2.40 million | +53.6% |
| 2004 | 3.54 million | +47.8% |
| 2005 | 6.25 million | +76.2% |
| 2006 | 8.49 million | +35.8% |
| 2007 | 9.94 million | +17.1% |
| 2008 | 11.68 million | +17.6% |
| 2009 | 13.24 million | +13.3% |
| 2010 | 14.78 million | +11.6% |
| 2011 | 15.33 million | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 16.46 million | +7.3% |
| 2013 | 16.63 million | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 16.61 million | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 12.94 million | -22.1% |
| 2016 | 13.88 million | +7.3% |
| 2017 | 14.65 million | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 15.77 million | +7.7% |
| 2019 | 15.85 million | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 15.49 million | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 16.79 million | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 17.49 million | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 18.17 million | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 18.43 million | +1.4% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 18.43 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.03 million, 2.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 18.43 million is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 4.51 million, 4.1× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +187.4% | 18,920 | 54,380 |
| 1997 | +111.6% | 59,779 | 126,505 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 88,558 | 0 | 383,185 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.84 million | 482,213 | 13.24 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.29 million | 12.94 million | 16.63 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.27 million | 15.49 million | 18.43 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More science & technology data for Ecuador
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 101.6 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.02 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 18.43 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 73.14 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.5602 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 3,530 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador?
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Ecuador was 18.43 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 18.43 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Ecuador rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Ecuador ranks 67th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ecuador 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).