Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa: Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers was 503.91 per 1,000 people in 2011. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2011)
503.91 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 16.3%
Rank
5th
of 6 groups
All-time high
503.91 per 1,000 people
in 2011
All-time low
1.31 per 1,000 people
in 1960
Years of data
39
1960–2011

Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960–2011

02004006001960198520111960: 1.3 per 1,000 people1970: 2.2 per 1,000 people1975: 2.6 per 1,000 people1976: 2.6 per 1,000 people1977: 2.6 per 1,000 people1978: 2.8 per 1,000 people1979: 2.9 per 1,000 people1980: 3 per 1,000 people1981: 2.7 per 1,000 people1982: 2.8 per 1,000 people1983: 2.9 per 1,000 people1984: 3 per 1,000 people1985: 3.1 per 1,000 people1986: 3.2 per 1,000 people1987: 3.3 per 1,000 people1988: 3.4 per 1,000 people1989: 3.5 per 1,000 people1990: 3.7 per 1,000 people1991: 3.8 per 1,000 people1992: 3.9 per 1,000 people1993: 4.1 per 1,000 people1994: 4.3 per 1,000 people1995: 4.7 per 1,000 people1996: 5.1 per 1,000 people1997: 5.6 per 1,000 people1998: 6.5 per 1,000 people1999: 8.3 per 1,000 people2000: 11.9 per 1,000 people2001: 17.3 per 1,000 people2002: 25.7 per 1,000 people2003: 37.1 per 1,000 people2004: 58.5 per 1,000 people2005: 90.2 per 1,000 people2006: 145.7 per 1,000 people2007: 203.4 per 1,000 people2008: 295.6 per 1,000 people2009: 359.8 per 1,000 people2010: 433.4 per 1,000 people2011: 503.9 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 telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa is 503.91 per 1,000 people, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.3% on the previous year and up 2,814.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa peaked at 503.91 per 1,000 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.31 per 1,000 people, in 1960.

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

Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers (per 1,000 people) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960 to 2011.
Year per 1,000 people Change
1960 1.31 per 1,000 people
1970 2.23 per 1,000 people +70.9%
1975 2.56 per 1,000 people +14.7%
1976 2.56 per 1,000 people -0.1%
1977 2.65 per 1,000 people +3.3%
1978 2.8 per 1,000 people +6.0%
1979 2.91 per 1,000 people +3.9%
1980 3.01 per 1,000 people +3.3%
1981 2.73 per 1,000 people -9.4%
1982 2.8 per 1,000 people +2.6%
1983 2.94 per 1,000 people +5.1%
1984 3.02 per 1,000 people +2.8%
1985 3.11 per 1,000 people +2.9%
1986 3.22 per 1,000 people +3.3%
1987 3.32 per 1,000 people +3.3%
1988 3.4 per 1,000 people +2.4%
1989 3.53 per 1,000 people +3.6%
1990 3.7 per 1,000 people +4.9%
1991 3.84 per 1,000 people +3.7%
1992 3.94 per 1,000 people +2.6%
1993 4.1 per 1,000 people +4.1%
1994 4.31 per 1,000 people +5.2%
1995 4.66 per 1,000 people +8.1%
1996 5.07 per 1,000 people +8.8%
1997 5.59 per 1,000 people +10.2%
1998 6.54 per 1,000 people +17.0%
1999 8.28 per 1,000 people +26.5%
2000 11.92 per 1,000 people +44.0%
2001 17.29 per 1,000 people +45.0%
2002 25.65 per 1,000 people +48.4%
2003 37.08 per 1,000 people +44.5%
2004 58.47 per 1,000 people +57.7%
2005 90.15 per 1,000 people +54.2%
2006 145.66 per 1,000 people +61.6%
2007 203.35 per 1,000 people +39.6%
2008 295.59 per 1,000 people +45.4%
2009 359.77 per 1,000 people +21.7%
2010 433.4 per 1,000 people +20.5%
2011 503.91 per 1,000 people +16.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.31 per 1,000 people 1.31 per 1,000 people 1.31 per 1,000 people 1
1970s 2.62 per 1,000 people 2.23 per 1,000 people 2.91 per 1,000 people 6
1980s 3.11 per 1,000 people 2.73 per 1,000 people 3.53 per 1,000 people 10
1990s 5 per 1,000 people 3.7 per 1,000 people 8.28 per 1,000 people 10
2000s 124.49 per 1,000 people 11.92 per 1,000 people 359.77 per 1,000 people 10
2010s 468.66 per 1,000 people 433.4 per 1,000 people 503.91 per 1,000 people 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

  1. 2 Libya 1,713 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 3 Botswana 1,502 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 4 South Africa 1,347 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 5 Mauritius 1,298 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 6 Tunisia 1,275 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 7 Morocco 1,243 per 1,000 people compare
  7. 8 Gabon 1,188 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 telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa was 503.91 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 telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 503.91 per 1,000 people in 2011.
What is the lowest telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.31 per 1,000 people in 1960.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa rank for telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa ranks 5th out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,814.7%. 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 Telephone (mainlines and mobile phone) subscribers (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Telephone (mainlines and 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 10 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/telephone-mainlines-and-mobile-phone-subscribers-per-1-000-people/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Telephone (mainlines and 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, 2,189 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Fixed lines are telephone mainlines connecting a customer's equipment to the public switched telephone network. Mobile phone subscribers refer to users of portable telephones subscribing to an automatic public mobile telephone service using cellular technology that provides access to the public switched telephone network.