Telephone mainlines in South Africa
South Africa: Telephone mainlines was 81.58 per 1,000 people in 2011. ▲ Rising
Telephone mainlines in South Africa, 1960–2011
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 in South Africa is 81.58 per 1,000 people, measured in 2011.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, telephone mainlines in South Africa peaked at 127.97 per 1,000 people in 1999 and was at its lowest, 37.37 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places South Africa 9th out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Telephone mainlines in South Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 37.37 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 38.07 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 41.47 per 1,000 people | +8.9% |
| 1975 | 46.75 per 1,000 people | +12.7% |
| 1976 | 48.64 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 50.76 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 53.04 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 55.97 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 59.18 per 1,000 people | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 63.3 per 1,000 people | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 66.84 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 69.7 per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 70.58 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 73.39 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 78.85 per 1,000 people | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 81.03 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 84.97 per 1,000 people | +4.9% |
| 1989 | 89.31 per 1,000 people | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 94.18 per 1,000 people | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 95.59 per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 94.25 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 95.9 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 98.62 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 102.31 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 106.47 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 113.5 per 1,000 people | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 121.13 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 127.97 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 112.77 per 1,000 people | -11.9% |
| 2001 | 109.65 per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 106.38 per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 104.54 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 103.93 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 100.19 per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 97.25 per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 93.91 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 90.69 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 87.59 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 84.51 per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 81.58 per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.72 per 1,000 people | 37.37 per 1,000 people | 38.07 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 49.44 per 1,000 people | 41.47 per 1,000 people | 55.97 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 73.72 per 1,000 people | 59.18 per 1,000 people | 89.31 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 104.99 per 1,000 people | 94.18 per 1,000 people | 127.97 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 100.69 per 1,000 people | 87.59 per 1,000 people | 112.77 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.05 per 1,000 people | 81.58 per 1,000 people | 84.51 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More science & technology data for South Africa
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 179.34 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 89.37 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.88 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 14,949 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is telephone mainlines in South Africa?
- Telephone mainlines in South Africa was 81.58 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 recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 127.97 per 1,000 people in 1999.
- What is the lowest telephone mainlines recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.37 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for telephone mainlines?
- South Africa ranks 9th out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is telephone mainlines rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this 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 (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data. Telephone mainlines are fixed telephone lines connecting a subscriber to the telephone exchange equipment.