Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi
Malawi: Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people was 69.26 per 100 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi, 1960–2024
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 and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi is 69.26 per 100 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
The figure is up 13.4% on the previous year and up 104.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi peaked at 69.26 per 100 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 per 100 people, in 1960.
That places Malawi 183rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Malawi, 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 | 0.0038 per 100 people | — |
| 1996 | 0.0359 per 100 people | +850.0% |
| 1997 | 0.0666 per 100 people | +85.6% |
| 1998 | 0.0978 per 100 people | +46.9% |
| 1999 | 0.205 per 100 people | +109.6% |
| 2000 | 0.433 per 100 people | +111.2% |
| 2001 | 0.4807 per 100 people | +11.0% |
| 2002 | 0.7243 per 100 people | +50.7% |
| 2003 | 1.11 per 100 people | +53.1% |
| 2004 | 1.78 per 100 people | +60.2% |
| 2005 | 3.28 per 100 people | +84.6% |
| 2006 | 4.7 per 100 people | +43.2% |
| 2007 | 7.74 per 100 people | +64.7% |
| 2008 | 10.79 per 100 people | +39.4% |
| 2009 | 17.27 per 100 people | +60.1% |
| 2010 | 21.03 per 100 people | +21.8% |
| 2011 | 25.89 per 100 people | +23.1% |
| 2012 | 29.58 per 100 people | +14.3% |
| 2013 | 32.73 per 100 people | +10.7% |
| 2014 | 33.89 per 100 people | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 38.43 per 100 people | +13.4% |
| 2016 | 40.88 per 100 people | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 43.09 per 100 people | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 38.2 per 100 people | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 46.78 per 100 people | +22.5% |
| 2020 | 51.22 per 100 people | +9.5% |
| 2021 | 59.56 per 100 people | +16.3% |
| 2022 | 59.65 per 100 people | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 61.09 per 100 people | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 69.26 per 100 people | +13.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 69.26 per 100 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 65.08 per 100 people, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 69.26 per 100 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 93.72 per 100 people, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +850.0% | 0.0038 per 100 people | 0.0359 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 | 0.0409 per 100 people | 0 per 100 people | 0.205 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.83 per 100 people | 0.433 per 100 people | 17.27 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.05 per 100 people | 21.03 per 100 people | 46.78 per 100 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.15 per 100 people | 51.22 per 100 people | 69.26 per 100 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More science & technology data for Malawi
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 69.26 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.6926 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 15.00 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 136.74 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 13.38 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 16.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 377.51 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi?
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi was 69.26 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 and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 69.26 per 100 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 per 100 people in 1960.
- How does Malawi rank for mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people?
- Malawi ranks 183rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 104.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.
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