Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan

Japan: Share of the population that owns a mobile phone was 93.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
93.8%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
62nd
of 182 countries
All-time high
94.0%
in 2023
All-time low
80.9%
in 2015
Years of data
10
2015–2024

Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan, 2015–2024

0204060801002015201920242015: 80.9 %2016: 83.6 %2017: 88.3 %2018: 89 %2019: 92.1 %2020: 92.9 %2021: 93 %2022: 93.8 %2023: 94 %2024: 93.8 %

Source: International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan stood at 93.8%.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan peaked at 94.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 80.9%, in 2015.

Japan ranks 62nd of 182 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan, 2015 to 2024.
Year % Change
2015 80.9%
2016 83.6% +3.3%
2017 88.3% +5.6%
2018 89.0% +0.8%
2019 92.1% +3.5%
2020 92.9% +0.9%
2021 93.0% +0.1%
2022 93.8% +0.9%
2023 94.0% +0.2%
2024 93.8% -0.2%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 93.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.0%, 97% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 93.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 84.8%, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 86.8% 80.9% 92.1% 5
2020s 93.5% 92.9% 94.0% 5

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 59 Lithuania 94.4% compare
  2. 60 Bahamas 94.0% compare
  3. 60 Guyana 94.0% compare
  4. 62 Chile 93.8% compare
  5. 62 Kazakhstan 93.8% compare
  6. 62 Kyrgyzstan 93.8% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More science & technology data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan?
Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan was 93.8% in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population that owns a mobile phone recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 94.0% in 2023.
What is the lowest share of the population that owns a mobile phone recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 80.9% in 2015.
How does Japan rank for share of the population that owns a mobile phone?
Japan ranks 62nd out of 182 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the population that owns a mobile phone rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that owns a mobile phone. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population that owns a mobile phone in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/share-population-mobile-phone/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population that owns a mobile phone
Unit
%
Source
International Telecommunication Union – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
182 places, 1,308 data points, 2013–2025
Last refreshed

Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex (%).