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Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea

North Korea: Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people was 24.13 per 100 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
24.13 per 100 people
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
210th
of 212 countries
All-time high
24.13 per 100 people
in 2022
All-time low
0 per 100 people
in 1980
Years of data
42
1980–2022

Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea, 1980–2022

05101520251980200120221980: 0 per 100 people1981: 0 per 100 people1982: 0 per 100 people1983: 0 per 100 people1984: 0 per 100 people1985: 0 per 100 people1986: 0 per 100 people1987: 0 per 100 people1988: 0 per 100 people1989: 0 per 100 people1990: 0 per 100 people1991: 0 per 100 people1992: 0 per 100 people1993: 0 per 100 people1994: 0 per 100 people1995: 0 per 100 people1996: 0 per 100 people1997: 0 per 100 people1998: 0 per 100 people1999: 0 per 100 people2000: 0 per 100 people2001: 0 per 100 people2002: 0 per 100 people2003: 0 per 100 people2004: 0 per 100 people2005: 0 per 100 people2006: 0 per 100 people2007: 0 per 100 people2008: 0 per 100 people2009: 0.278 per 100 people2010: 1.7 per 100 people2011: 4 per 100 people2012: 6.7 per 100 people2013: 9.6 per 100 people2014: 11 per 100 people2015: 12.7 per 100 people2016: 14 per 100 people2017: 14.8 per 100 people2019: 16.3 per 100 people2020: 23 per 100 people2021: 22.9 per 100 people2022: 24.1 per 100 people

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 North Korea is 24.13 per 100 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.

That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and up 257.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea peaked at 24.13 per 100 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1980.

That places North Korea 210th out of 212 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea, year by year

Year per 100 people Change
1980 0 per 100 people —
1981 0 per 100 people —
1982 0 per 100 people —
1983 0 per 100 people —
1984 0 per 100 people —
1985 0 per 100 people —
1986 0 per 100 people —
1987 0 per 100 people —
1988 0 per 100 people —
1989 0 per 100 people —
1990 0 per 100 people —
1991 0 per 100 people —
1992 0 per 100 people —
1993 0 per 100 people —
1994 0 per 100 people —
1995 0 per 100 people —
1996 0 per 100 people —
1997 0 per 100 people —
1998 0 per 100 people —
1999 0 per 100 people —
2000 0 per 100 people —
2001 0 per 100 people —
2002 0 per 100 people —
2003 0 per 100 people —
2004 0 per 100 people —
2005 0 per 100 people —
2006 0 per 100 people —
2007 0 per 100 people —
2008 0 per 100 people —
2009 0.2784 per 100 people —
2010 1.73 per 100 people +520.9%
2011 3.98 per 100 people +130.5%
2012 6.74 per 100 people +69.2%
2013 9.55 per 100 people +41.7%
2014 11 per 100 people +15.1%
2015 12.67 per 100 people +15.2%
2016 14.03 per 100 people +10.8%
2017 14.76 per 100 people +5.2%
2019 16.33 per 100 people +10.7%
2020 22.96 per 100 people +40.5%
2021 22.87 per 100 people -0.4%
2022 24.13 per 100 people +5.5%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 24.13 per 100 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 65.08 per 100 people, 37% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 24.13 per 100 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 115.3 per 100 people, 21% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea 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.

YearChange FromTo
2010 +520.9% 0.2784 per 100 people 1.73 per 100 people
2011 +130.5% 1.73 per 100 people 3.98 per 100 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 10
1990s 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 10
2000s 0.0278 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 0.2784 per 100 people 10
2010s 10.09 per 100 people 1.73 per 100 people 16.33 per 100 people 9
2020s 23.32 per 100 people 22.87 per 100 people 24.13 per 100 people 3

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 207 Papua New Guinea 38.77 per 100 people compare
  2. 208 Liberia 32.06 per 100 people compare
  3. 209 Northern Mariana Islands 32.02 per 100 people compare
  4. 211 Micronesia (country) 19.99 per 100 people compare
  5. 212 American Samoa 3.96 per 100 people compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea?
Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea was 24.13 per 100 people in 2022, 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 North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 24.13 per 100 people in 2022.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1980.
How does North Korea rank for mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people?
North Korea ranks 210th out of 212 countries with data for 2022.
Is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 257.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this North Korea 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.

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Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 October 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/mobile-cellular-subscriptions-per-100-people-2/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people
Unit
per 100 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 8,985 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed

This number can get over 100 when the average person has more than one subscription to a mobile service.