Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China
China: Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people was 131.75 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China, 1980–2024
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China is 131.75 per 100 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 42.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China peaked at 131.75 per 100 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1980.
That places China 53rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0001 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.0009 per 100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7491 per 100 people | 0.0016 per 100 people | 3.45 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.06 per 100 people | 6.72 per 100 people | 55.66 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.18 per 100 people | 63.56 per 100 people | 122.67 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 125.24 per 100 people | 120.5 per 100 people | 131.75 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More science & technology data for China
- Scientific and technical journal articles 932,712 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 1.87 billion (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 131.75 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 159,019 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 91.6% (2025)
- Patent applications, residents 1.43 million (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 2.6% (2023)
- Number of people using the Internet 1.04 billion users (2021)
- Landline Internet subscriptions per 100 people 47.19 per 100 people (2024)
- Landline Internet subscriptions 669.83 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China?
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in China was 131.75 per 100 people 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 per 100 people recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 131.75 per 100 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1980.
- How does China rank for mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people?
- China ranks 53rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 per 100 people. 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).
About this data
This number can get over 100 when the average person has more than one subscription to a mobile service.