Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa

South Africa: Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) was 1.0% in 2000. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2000)
1.0%
Change on year
down 44.6%
World rank
33rd
of 51 countries
All-time high
11.4%
in 1984
All-time low
1.0%
in 2000
Years of data
28
1965–2000

Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa, 1965–2000

02.557.51012.51965198220001965: 2.51970: 9.71975: 9.11976: 7.61977: 61978: 4.41979: 4.41980: 6.41981: 7.91982: 101983: 10.91984: 11.41985: 9.71986: 7.31987: 6.31988: 4.91989: 3.91990: 3.81991: 3.71992: 3.51993: 3.81994: 3.71995: 3.41996: 3.11997: 2.51998: 21999: 1.82000: 1

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.

Analysis

In 2000, unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa stood at 1.0%. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is down 44.6% on the previous year and down 73.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa peaked at 11.4% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2000.

That places South Africa 33rd out of 51 countries with data for 2000, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines in operation) in South Africa, 1965 to 2000.
Year Value Change
1965 2.5%
1970 9.7% +297.2%
1975 9.1% -6.8%
1976 7.6% -15.8%
1977 6.0% -21.2%
1978 4.4% -26.5%
1979 4.4% +0.2%
1980 6.4% +43.4%
1981 7.9% +23.9%
1982 10.0% +26.5%
1983 10.9% +8.9%
1984 11.4% +4.9%
1985 9.7% -14.9%
1986 7.3% -24.6%
1987 6.3% -14.2%
1988 4.9% -21.3%
1989 3.9% -20.6%
1990 3.8% -3.6%
1991 3.7% -2.0%
1992 3.5% -6.2%
1993 3.8% +8.4%
1994 3.7% -1.8%
1995 3.4% -7.9%
1996 3.1% -9.9%
1997 2.5% -18.6%
1998 2.0% -21.3%
1999 1.8% -7.6%
2000 1.0% -44.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 1
1970s 6.9% 4.4% 9.7% 6
1980s 7.9% 3.9% 11.4% 10
1990s 3.1% 1.8% 3.8% 10
2000s 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 30 Burkina Faso 3.6% compare
  2. 31 Namibia 2.5% compare
  3. 32 Ethiopia 2.1% compare
  4. 34 Tunisia 0.9% compare
  5. 35 Sao Tome and Principe 0.9% compare
  6. 36 Mauritius 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 51 places →

More science & technology data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa?
Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa was 1.0% in 2000, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates.
What is the highest unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 1984.
What is the lowest unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines)?
South Africa ranks 33rd out of 51 countries with data for 2000.
Is unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 73.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines in operation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/unmet-demand-percent-of-waiting-list-to-number-main-fixed-telephone-lines-in-operation/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/unmet-demand-percent-of-waiting-list-to-number-main-fixed-telephone-lines-in-operation/south-africa/">Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines) in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unmet demand (% of waiting list to number main fixed telephone lines in operation)
Source
International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
51 places, 1,047 data points, 1965–2008
Last refreshed

Unmet demand is unmet applications for connection to the public switched telephone network that have had to be held over owing to a lack of technical facilities (equipment, lines, and the like) divided by the number of main telephone lines in operation.