Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony was 82.7% in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2011
Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2011, population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 82.7%.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and up 76.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 84.3% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1991.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 16.0% | — |
| 1997 | 11.4% | -28.9% |
| 1998 | 36.4% | +219.5% |
| 1999 | 52.4% | +44.1% |
| 2000 | 50.2% | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 47.0% | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 43.6% | -7.3% |
| 2003 | 46.5% | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 57.2% | +22.9% |
| 2005 | 56.3% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 61.2% | +8.7% |
| 2007 | 74.4% | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 81.8% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 82.0% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 84.3% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 82.7% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.9% | 0.0% | 52.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.0% | 43.6% | 82.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.5% | 82.7% | 84.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More science & technology data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Scientific and technical journal articles 48,022 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per square kilometre 0.002 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Digital connectivity composite index -1.24 standard deviations from the yearly mean (2025)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, annual growth rate -0.2159 % change on previous year (2023)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 8,160 (2020)
- Patent applications, residents 1,834 (2020)
- Proportion of individuals using the Internet 35.7% (2025)
- Proportion of population covered by at least a 2G mobile network 94.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony in Sub-Saharan Africa was 82.7% in 2011, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.
- What is the highest population coverage of mobile cellular telephony recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 84.3% in 2010.
- What is the lowest population coverage of mobile cellular telephony recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1991.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for population coverage of mobile cellular telephony?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is population coverage of mobile cellular telephony rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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 Population coverage of mobile cellular telephony (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Percentage of population covered by mobile cellular telephony refers to the percentage of a country’s inhabitants that live within areas served by a mobile cellular signal, irrespective of whether or not they choose to use it. This should not be confused with the percentage of the land area covered by a mobile cellular signal or the percentage of the population that subscribe to mobile cellular service. Note that this measures the theoretical ability to use mobile cellular services if one has a cellular telephone and a subscription.