Mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati
Kiribati: Mobile phone subscriptions was 72,000 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati, 1980–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kiribati recorded 72,000 for mobile phone subscriptions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and up 140.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati peaked at 72,000 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
Kiribati ranks 193rd of 212 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati, 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 | 22 | — |
| 1999 | 200 | +809.1% |
| 2000 | 300 | +50.0% |
| 2001 | 395 | +31.7% |
| 2002 | 495 | +25.3% |
| 2003 | 526 | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 615 | +16.9% |
| 2005 | 650 | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 700 | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 750 | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 1,000 | +33.3% |
| 2009 | 9,907 | +890.7% |
| 2010 | 10,595 | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 13,788 | +30.1% |
| 2012 | 18,000 | +30.5% |
| 2013 | 20,000 | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 30,000 | +50.0% |
| 2015 | 41,000 | +36.7% |
| 2016 | 52,000 | +26.8% |
| 2017 | 46,123 | -11.3% |
| 2018 | 53,338 | +15.6% |
| 2019 | 54,658 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 54,661 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 52,632 | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 64,076 | +21.7% |
| 2023 | 67,927 | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 72,000 | +6.0% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 72,000 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.17 million, 1% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 72,000 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.10 million, 2% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +890.7% | 1,000 | 9,907 |
| 1999 | +809.1% | 22 | 200 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.2 | 0 | 200 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,534 | 300 | 9,907 | 10 |
| 2010s | 33,950 | 10,595 | 54,658 | 10 |
| 2020s | 62,259 | 52,632 | 72,000 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
More science & technology data for Kiribati
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 53.52 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.5352 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 72,000 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 83.86 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 2.14 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati?
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Kiribati was 72,000 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 Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 72,000 in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Kiribati rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Kiribati ranks 193rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 140.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kiribati 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).