Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa: Mobile phone subscribers was 494.23 per 1,000 people in 2011. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2011)
494.23 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 16.8%
Rank
5th
of 6 groups
All-time high
494.23 per 1,000 people
in 2011
All-time low
0 per 1,000 people
in 1960
Years of data
40
1960–2011

Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960–2011

01002003004005001960198520111960: 0 per 1,000 people1965: 0 per 1,000 people1970: 0 per 1,000 people1975: 0 per 1,000 people1976: 0 per 1,000 people1977: 0 per 1,000 people1978: 0 per 1,000 people1979: 0 per 1,000 people1980: 0 per 1,000 people1981: 0 per 1,000 people1982: 0 per 1,000 people1983: 0 per 1,000 people1984: 0 per 1,000 people1985: 0 per 1,000 people1986: 0 per 1,000 people1987: 0 per 1,000 people1988: 0 per 1,000 people1989: 0 per 1,000 people1990: 0.005 per 1,000 people1991: 0.005 per 1,000 people1992: 0.011 per 1,000 people1993: 0.041 per 1,000 people1994: 0.067 per 1,000 people1995: 0.123 per 1,000 people1996: 0.234 per 1,000 people1997: 0.443 per 1,000 people1998: 0.915 per 1,000 people1999: 2.1 per 1,000 people2000: 5 per 1,000 people2001: 9.9 per 1,000 people2002: 17.6 per 1,000 people2003: 28.3 per 1,000 people2004: 49.3 per 1,000 people2005: 81.2 per 1,000 people2006: 135.8 per 1,000 people2007: 193.3 per 1,000 people2008: 285.8 per 1,000 people2009: 349 per 1,000 people2010: 423.1 per 1,000 people2011: 494.2 per 1,000 people

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Measured in per 1,000 people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa is 494.23 per 1,000 people, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.8% on the previous year and up 4,890.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa peaked at 494.23 per 1,000 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0 per 1,000 people, in 1960.

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

Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960 to 2011.
Year per 1,000 people Change
1960 0 per 1,000 people
1965 0 per 1,000 people
1970 0 per 1,000 people
1975 0 per 1,000 people
1976 0 per 1,000 people
1977 0 per 1,000 people
1978 0 per 1,000 people
1979 0 per 1,000 people
1980 0 per 1,000 people
1981 0 per 1,000 people
1982 0 per 1,000 people
1983 0 per 1,000 people
1984 0 per 1,000 people
1985 0 per 1,000 people
1986 0 per 1,000 people
1987 0 per 1,000 people
1988 0 per 1,000 people
1989 0 per 1,000 people
1990 0.0047 per 1,000 people
1991 0.0052 per 1,000 people +10.5%
1992 0.0107 per 1,000 people +106.8%
1993 0.0406 per 1,000 people +280.7%
1994 0.0673 per 1,000 people +65.9%
1995 0.1232 per 1,000 people +83.0%
1996 0.2344 per 1,000 people +90.2%
1997 0.4433 per 1,000 people +89.1%
1998 0.9147 per 1,000 people +106.4%
1999 2.13 per 1,000 people +132.8%
2000 5.04 per 1,000 people +136.7%
2001 9.9 per 1,000 people +96.4%
2002 17.57 per 1,000 people +77.4%
2003 28.3 per 1,000 people +61.0%
2004 49.25 per 1,000 people +74.0%
2005 81.16 per 1,000 people +64.8%
2006 135.83 per 1,000 people +67.4%
2007 193.35 per 1,000 people +42.3%
2008 285.81 per 1,000 people +47.8%
2009 349.02 per 1,000 people +22.1%
2010 423.14 per 1,000 people +21.2%
2011 494.23 per 1,000 people +16.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 2
1970s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 6
1980s 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 0 per 1,000 people 10
1990s 0.3974 per 1,000 people 0.0047 per 1,000 people 2.13 per 1,000 people 10
2000s 115.52 per 1,000 people 5.04 per 1,000 people 349.02 per 1,000 people 10
2010s 458.69 per 1,000 people 423.14 per 1,000 people 494.23 per 1,000 people 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

  1. 2 Seychelles 1,472 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 3 Botswana 1,428 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 4 South Africa 1,265 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 5 Gabon 1,173 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 6 Tunisia 1,161 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 7 Morocco 1,133 per 1,000 people compare
  7. 8 Egypt 1,011 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 59 places →

More science & technology data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa was 494.23 per 1,000 people in 2011, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.
What is the highest mobile phone subscribers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 494.23 per 1,000 people in 2011.
What is the lowest mobile phone subscribers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 per 1,000 people in 1960.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa rank for mobile phone subscribers?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa ranks 5th out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is mobile phone subscribers rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4,890.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates, published as part of Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa/">Mobile phone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
59 places, 2,350 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Mobile telephone subscribers are subscribers to a public mobile telephone service using cellular technology.