Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea
North Korea: Mobile and landline 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 1960
Years of data
50
1960–2022
Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea, 1960–2022
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 24.13 per 100 people for mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in 2022. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 5.5% on the previous year and up 257.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile and landline 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 1960.
North Korea ranks 210th 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 and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea, year by year
| Year | per 100 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1965 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1970 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1975 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1976 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1977 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1978 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 1979 | 0 per 100 people | — |
| 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 and landline 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 6 |
| 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
- 207 Papua New Guinea 38.77 per 100 people compare
- 208 Liberia 32.06 per 100 people compare
- 209 Northern Mariana Islands 32.02 per 100 people compare
- 211 Micronesia (country) 19.99 per 100 people compare
- 212 American Samoa 3.96 per 100 people compare
More science & technology data for North Korea
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 24.13 (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.2413 units per person (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 6.35 million (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 52.77 units per square kilometre (2022)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 5.5 % change on previous year (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.89 % change on previous year (2022)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 269.28 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per square kilometre 0.0022 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Digital connectivity composite index -1.3 standard deviations from the yearly mean (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in North Korea?
- Mobile and landline 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 and landline 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 and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people?
- North Korea ranks 210th out of 212 countries with data for 2022.
- Is mobile and landline 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 and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).