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Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people was 38.77 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
38.77 per 100 people
Change on year
up 13.8%
World rank
207th
of 212 countries
All-time high
49.19 per 100 people
in 2022
All-time low
0 per 100 people
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea, 1980–2024

010203040501980200220241980: 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: 0.048 per 100 people1997: 0.078 per 100 people1998: 0.108 per 100 people1999: 0.133 per 100 people2000: 0.155 per 100 people2001: 0.187 per 100 people2002: 0.253 per 100 people2003: 0.286 per 100 people2004: 0.763 per 100 people2005: 1.1 per 100 people2006: 1.5 per 100 people2007: 4.3 per 100 people2008: 12.2 per 100 people2009: 19.1 per 100 people2010: 25 per 100 people2011: 30.5 per 100 people2012: 33.5 per 100 people2013: 36.1 per 100 people2014: 39.4 per 100 people2015: 40.7 per 100 people2016: 42.2 per 100 people2017: 43.8 per 100 people2018: 45.8 per 100 people2019: 47.2 per 100 people2020: 49.1 per 100 people2021: 48.1 per 100 people2022: 49.2 per 100 people2023: 34.1 per 100 people2024: 38.8 per 100 people

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.

Analysis

In 2024, mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea stood at 38.77 per 100 people.

That represents a change of up 13.8% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea peaked at 49.19 per 100 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1980.

Papua New Guinea ranks 207th 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 per 100 people in Papua New Guinea, 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 0.0477 per 100 people —
1997 0.0778 per 100 people +62.9%
1998 0.1082 per 100 people +39.1%
1999 0.1327 per 100 people +22.6%
2000 0.1546 per 100 people +16.5%
2001 0.1868 per 100 people +20.8%
2002 0.2532 per 100 people +35.6%
2003 0.2858 per 100 people +12.9%
2004 0.7634 per 100 people +167.2%
2005 1.15 per 100 people +50.3%
2006 1.48 per 100 people +29.1%
2007 4.31 per 100 people +190.7%
2008 12.17 per 100 people +182.4%
2009 19.14 per 100 people +57.3%
2010 25.01 per 100 people +30.7%
2011 30.54 per 100 people +22.1%
2012 33.52 per 100 people +9.8%
2013 36.13 per 100 people +7.8%
2014 39.41 per 100 people +9.1%
2015 40.72 per 100 people +3.3%
2016 42.2 per 100 people +3.6%
2017 43.78 per 100 people +3.7%
2018 45.77 per 100 people +4.6%
2019 47.2 per 100 people +3.1%
2020 49.08 per 100 people +4.0%
2021 48.12 per 100 people -2.0%
2022 49.19 per 100 people +2.2%
2023 34.06 per 100 people -30.8%
2024 38.77 per 100 people +13.8%

Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries

  • Papua New Guinea's 38.77 per 100 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 97.13 per 100 people, 40% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Papua New Guinea's 38.77 per 100 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 115.3 per 100 people, 34% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea 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
2007 +190.7% 1.48 per 100 people 4.31 per 100 people
2008 +182.4% 4.31 per 100 people 12.17 per 100 people
2004 +167.2% 0.2858 per 100 people 0.7634 per 100 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 10
1990s 0.0366 per 100 people 0 per 100 people 0.1327 per 100 people 10
2000s 3.99 per 100 people 0.1546 per 100 people 19.14 per 100 people 10
2010s 38.43 per 100 people 25.01 per 100 people 47.2 per 100 people 10
2020s 43.84 per 100 people 34.06 per 100 people 49.19 per 100 people 5

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

  1. 204 South Sudan 46.62 per 100 people compare
  2. 205 Marshall Islands 39.71 per 100 people compare
  3. 206 Central African Republic 38.82 per 100 people compare
  4. 208 Liberia 32.06 per 100 people compare
  5. 209 Northern Mariana Islands 32.02 per 100 people compare
  6. 210 North Korea 24.13 per 100 people compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More science & technology data for Papua New Guinea

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea?
Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people in Papua New Guinea was 38.77 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 Papua New Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 49.19 per 100 people in 2022.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1980.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people?
Papua New Guinea ranks 207th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/mobile-cellular-subscriptions-per-100-people-2/papua-new-guinea/

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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.