Mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini
Eswatini: Mobile phone subscriptions was 1.74 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini, 1980–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 1.74 million for mobile phone subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.0% on the previous year and up 89.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini peaked at 1.74 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
Eswatini ranks 154th 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 Eswatini, 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 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 4,700 | — |
| 1999 | 14,000 | +197.9% |
| 2000 | 33,000 | +135.7% |
| 2001 | 55,000 | +66.7% |
| 2002 | 68,000 | +23.6% |
| 2003 | 85,000 | +25.0% |
| 2004 | 145,000 | +70.6% |
| 2005 | 200,000 | +37.9% |
| 2006 | 250,000 | +25.0% |
| 2007 | 380,000 | +52.0% |
| 2008 | 531,643 | +39.9% |
| 2009 | 664,432 | +25.0% |
| 2010 | 725,802 | +9.2% |
| 2011 | 766,540 | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 805,000 | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 893,000 | +10.9% |
| 2014 | 916,800 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 941,000 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 995,000 | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 1.03 million | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 1.04 million | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.07 million | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 1.25 million | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 1.43 million | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 1.48 million | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 1.58 million | +6.7% |
| 2024 | 1.74 million | +10.0% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 1.74 million is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.17 million, 14% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 1.74 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.69 million, 13% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +197.9% | 4,700 | 14,000 |
| 2000 | +135.7% | 14,000 | 33,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,870 | 0 | 14,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 241,208 | 33,000 | 664,432 | 10 |
| 2010s | 918,760 | 725,802 | 1.07 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.50 million | 1.25 million | 1.74 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 151 Central African Republic 1.98 million compare
- 152 North Macedonia 1.98 million compare
- 153 Trinidad and Tobago 1.79 million compare
- 155 Liberia 1.72 million compare
- 156 Lesotho 1.64 million compare
- 157 East Timor 1.63 million compare
More science & technology data for Eswatini
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 139.83 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.4 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.74 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 91.86 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 8.91 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 10 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 30.94 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini?
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Eswatini was 1.74 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 1.74 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Eswatini rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Eswatini ranks 154th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 89.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).