The table below shows the average number of mobile phones per person, per country and is based on current (2011) population data.
Some of the data in the table may surprise you but there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration, including the following:
- Poorer countries that have high tourism levels may have artificially high mobile phone ownership levels due to the number of tourists buying a sim card locally and using it for the duration of their stay
- Where countries show a higher number of mobile phones in use than the population figures would lead you to expect, it is often the case that people have a personal mobile phone and also a business mobile phone.
- In poorer countries, a mobile phone may be shared by several individuals
- In some developing countries, it is cheaper and faster to roll out a mobile network than to introduce a landline infrastructure, and so whereas in many countries mobile phone ownership may be seen as a luxury, in such countries it is likely to be the only available telecommunications facility available, particularly in remote areas.
| Country | Total Mobiles | 2011 Population | Phones Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 2,472,000 | 848,016.00 | 2.92 |
| Estonia | 2,720,000 | 1,282,963.00 | 2.12 |
| United Arab Emirates | 10,672,000 | 5,148,664.00 | 2.07 |
| Macau | 1,109,000 | 573,003.00 | 1.94 |
| Anguilla | 27,000 | 15,094.00 | 1.79 |
| Saudi Arabia | 44,864,000 | 26,131,703.00 | 1.72 |
| Hong Kong | 12,207,000 | 7,122,508.00 | 1.71 |
| Russia | 230,500,000 | 138,739,892.00 | 1.66 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 83,000 | 50,314.00 | 1.65 |
| Panama | 5,677,000 | 3,460,462.00 | 1.64 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1,970,000 | 1,227,505.00 | 1.60 |
| Suriname | 763,900 | 491,989.00 | 1.55 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 134,900 | 87,884.00 | 1.53 |
| Bulgaria | 10,617,000 | 7,093,635.00 | 1.50 |
| Kuwait | 3,876,000 | 2,595,628.00 | 1.49 |
| Italy | 90,613,000 | 61,016,804.00 | 1.49 |
| Finland | 7,700,000 | 5,259,250.00 | 1.46 |
| Dominica | 106,000 | 72,969.00 | 1.45 |
| Gaza Strip | 2,405,000 | 1,657,155.00 | 1.45 |
| Austria | 11,773,000 | 8,217,280.00 | 1.43 |
| Luxembourg | 719,000 | 503,302.00 | 1.43 |
| Portugal | 15,178,000 | 10,760,305.00 | 1.41 |
| Lithuania | 4,962,000 | 3,535,547.00 | 1.40 |
| Singapore | 6,652,000 | 4,740,737.00 | 1.40 |
| Czech Republic | 14,258,000 | 10,190,213.00 | 1.40 |
| Albania | 4,162,000 | 2,994,667.00 | 1.39 |
| Serbia | 9,912,000 | 7,310,555.00 | 1.36 |
| Croatia | 6,035,000 | 4,483,804.00 | 1.35 |
| Denmark | 7,406,000 | 5,529,888.00 | 1.34 |
| Oman | 3,971,000 | 3,027,959.00 | 1.31 |
| Bahrain | 1,578,000 | 1,214,705.00 | 1.30 |
| Germany | 105,000,000 | 81,471,834.00 | 1.29 |
| United Kingdom | 80,375,000 | 62,698,362.00 | 1.28 |
| Netherlands | 21,182,000 | 16,847,007.00 | 1.26 |
| Sweden | 11,426,000 | 9,088,728.00 | 1.26 |
| Guatemala | 17,308,000 | 13,824,463.00 | 1.25 |
| El Salvador | 7,566,000 | 6,071,774.00 | 1.25 |
| Thailand | 83,057,000 | 66,720,153.00 | 1.24 |
| Uruguay | 4,112,000 | 3,308,535.00 | 1.24 |
| Argentina | 51,891,000 | 41,769,726.00 | 1.24 |
| Bermuda | 85,000 | 68,679.00 | 1.24 |
| Greece | 13,295,000 | 10,760,136.00 | 1.24 |
| Ukraine | 55,333,000 | 45,134,707.00 | 1.23 |
| Switzerland | 9,255,000 | 7,639,961.00 | 1.21 |
| Israel | 9,022,000 | 7,473,052.00 | 1.21 |
| Aruba | 128,000 | 106,113.00 | 1.21 |
| Belgium | 12,419,000 | 10,431,477.00 | 1.19 |
| Hungary | 11,793,000 | 9,976,062.00 | 1.18 |
| Barbados | 337,100 | 286,705.00 | 1.18 |
| Taiwan | 26,959,000 | 23,071,779.00 | 1.17 |
| Maldives | 461,149 | 394,999.00 | 1.17 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 121,100 | 103,869.00 | 1.17 |
| Poland | 44,553,000 | 38,441,588.00 | 1.16 |
| Romania | 25,377,000 | 21,904,551.00 | 1.16 |
| Faroe Islands | 57,000 | 49,267.00 | 1.16 |
| Bahamas, The | 358,800 | 313,312.00 | 1.15 |
| Norway | 5,336,000 | 4,691,849.00 | 1.14 |
| Montenegro | 752,000 | 661,807.00 | 1.14 |
| Iceland | 349,000 | 311,058.00 | 1.12 |
| Australia | 24,220,000 | 21,766,711.00 | 1.11 |
| New Zealand | 4,700,000 | 4,290,347.00 | 1.10 |
| Spain | 50,991,000 | 46,754,784.00 | 1.09 |
| Saint Lucia | 176,000 | 161,557.00 | 1.09 |
| Vietnam | 98,224,000 | 90,549,390.00 | 1.08 |
| Brunei | 425,000 | 401,890.00 | 1.06 |
| Malaysia | 30,379,000 | 28,728,607.00 | 1.06 |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | 3,300 | 3,140.00 | 1.05 |
| Slovenia | 2,100,000 | 2,000,092.00 | 1.05 |
| Ireland | 4,871,000 | 4,670,976.00 | 1.04 |
| Jamaica | 2,971,000 | 2,868,380.00 | 1.04 |
| Seychelles | 92,300 | 89,188.00 | 1.03 |
| Malta | 422,100 | 408,333.00 | 1.03 |
| Venezuela | 28,124,000 | 27,635,743.00 | 1.02 |
| Latvia | 2,243,000 | 2,204,708.00 | 1.02 |
| Belarus | 9,686,000 | 9,577,552.00 | 1.01 |
| Slovakia | 5,498,000 | 5,477,038.00 | 1.00 |
| Liechtenstein | 35,000 | 35,236.00 | 0.99 |
| Gibraltar | 28,600 | 28,956.00 | 0.99 |
| Korea, South | 47,944,000 | 48,754,657.00 | 0.98 |
| Chile | 16,450,000 | 16,888,760.00 | 0.97 |
| Kazakhstan | 14,995,000 | 15,522,373.00 | 0.97 |
| South Africa | 46,436,000 | 49,004,031.00 | 0.95 |
| Honduras | 7,714,000 | 8,143,564.00 | 0.95 |
| British Virgin Islands | 24,000 | 25,383.00 | 0.95 |
| Colombia | 42,160,000 | 44,725,543.00 | 0.94 |
| West Bank | 2,405,000 | 2,568,555.00 | 0.94 |
| France | 60,950,000 | 65,102,719.00 | 0.94 |
| Macedonia | 1,943,000 | 2,077,328.00 | 0.94 |
| Algeria | 32,730,000 | 34,994,937.00 | 0.94 |
| Greenland | 53,500 | 57,670.00 | 0.93 |
| Azerbaijan | 7,757,000 | 8,372,373.00 | 0.93 |
| Jordan | 6,014,000 | 6,508,271.00 | 0.92 |
| Tunisia | 9,754,000 | 10,629,186.00 | 0.92 |
| United States | 286,000,000 | 313,232,044.00 | 0.91 |
| Japan | 114,917,000 | 126,475,664.00 | 0.91 |
| Ecuador | 13,635,000 | 15,007,343.00 | 0.91 |
| Botswana | 1,874,000 | 2,065,398.00 | 0.91 |
| Philippines | 92,227,000 | 101,833,938.00 | 0.91 |
| Jersey | 83,900 | 94,161.00 | 0.89 |
| Armenia | 2,620,000 | 2,967,975.00 | 0.88 |
| Cyprus | 977,500 | 1,120,489.00 | 0.87 |
| Gabon | 1,373,000 | 1,576,665.00 | 0.87 |
| Paraguay | 5,619,000 | 6,459,058.00 | 0.87 |
| Dominican Republic | 8,630,000 | 9,956,648.00 | 0.87 |
| Brazil | 173,959,000 | 203,429,773.00 | 0.86 |
| Peru | 24,700,000 | 29,248,943.00 | 0.84 |
| Mauritius | 1,087,000 | 1,303,717.00 | 0.83 |
| New Caledonia | 208,000 | 256,275.00 | 0.81 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 4,487,000 | 5,587,443.00 | 0.80 |
| Gambia, The | 1,433,000 | 1,797,860.00 | 0.80 |
| Turkey | 62,780,000 | 78,785,548.00 | 0.80 |
| Morocco | 25,311,000 | 31,968,361.00 | 0.79 |
| Samoa | 151,000 | 193,161.00 | 0.78 |
| Andorra | 64,500 | 84,825.00 | 0.76 |
| Cape Verde | 392,000 | 516,100.00 | 0.76 |
| Libya | 5,004,000 | 6,597,960.00 | 0.76 |
| San Marino | 24,000 | 31,817.00 | 0.75 |
| Monaco | 23,000 | 30,539.00 | 0.75 |
| Sri Lanka | 15,868,000 | 21,283,913.00 | 0.75 |
| Mexico | 83,528,000 | 113,724,226.00 | 0.73 |
| Virgin Islands | 80,300 | 109,666.00 | 0.73 |
| Fiji | 640,000 | 883,125.00 | 0.72 |
| Mongolia | 2,249,000 | 3,133,318.00 | 0.72 |
| Bolivia | 7,148,000 | 10,118,683.00 | 0.71 |
| French Polynesia | 208,300 | 294,935.00 | 0.71 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,257,000 | 4,622,163.00 | 0.70 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,716,000 | 3,989,133.00 | 0.68 |
| Canada | 23,081,000 | 34,030,589.00 | 0.68 |
| Iran | 52,555,000 | 77,891,220.00 | 0.67 |
| Egypt | 55,352,000 | 82,079,636.00 | 0.67 |
| Guernsey | 43,800 | 65,068.00 | 0.67 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 445,000 | 668,225.00 | 0.67 |
| Mauritania | 2,182,000 | 3,281,634.00 | 0.66 |
| Cayman Islands | 33,800 | 51,384.00 | 0.66 |
| Iraq | 19,722,000 | 30,399,572.00 | 0.65 |
| Indonesia | 159,248,000 | 245,613,043.00 | 0.65 |
| Moldova | 2,785,000 | 4,314,377.00 | 0.65 |
| Tajikistan | 4,900,000 | 7,627,200.00 | 0.64 |
| Palau | 13,200 | 20,956.00 | 0.63 |
| Cook Islands | 7,000 | 11,124.00 | 0.63 |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 13,346,000 | 21,504,162.00 | 0.62 |
| Georgia | 2,837,000 | 4,585,874.00 | 0.62 |
| Ghana | 15,109,000 | 24,791,073.00 | 0.61 |
| Angola | 8,109,000 | 13,338,541.00 | 0.61 |
| Grenada | 64,000 | 108,419.00 | 0.59 |
| Uzbekistan | 16,418,000 | 28,128,600.00 | 0.58 |
| Montserrat | 3,000 | 5,140.00 | 0.58 |
| Namibia | 1,217,000 | 2,147,585.00 | 0.57 |
| Nicaragua | 3,204,000 | 5,666,301.00 | 0.57 |
| India | 670,000,000 | 1,189,172,906.00 | 0.56 |
| Vanuatu | 126,500 | 224,564.00 | 0.56 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 25,100 | 44,819.00 | 0.56 |
| China | 747,000,000 | 1,336,718,015.00 | 0.56 |
| Pakistan | 103,000,000 | 187,342,721.00 | 0.55 |
| Senegal | 6,902,000 | 12,643,799.00 | 0.55 |
| Benin | 5,033,000 | 9,325,032.00 | 0.54 |
| Guinea | 5,607,000 | 10,601,009.00 | 0.53 |
| Congo, Republic of the | 2,171,000 | 4,243,929.00 | 0.51 |
| Belize | 161,800 | 321,115.00 | 0.50 |
| Tonga | 53,000 | 105,916.00 | 0.50 |
| Laos | 3,235,000 | 6,477,211.00 | 0.50 |
| Swaziland | 656,000 | 1,370,424.00 | 0.48 |
| Kenya | 19,365,000 | 41,070,934.00 | 0.47 |
| Nigeria | 73,099,000 | 155,215,573.00 | 0.47 |
| Bhutan | 327,100 | 708,427.00 | 0.46 |
| Niue | 600 | 1,311.00 | 0.46 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 20,500 | 46,050.00 | 0.45 |
| Syria | 9,697,000 | 22,517,750.00 | 0.43 |
| Costa Rica | 1,950,000 | 4,576,562.00 | 0.43 |
| Tanzania | 17,677,000 | 42,746,620.00 | 0.41 |
| Afghanistan | 12,000,000 | 29,835,392.00 | 0.40 |
| Cambodia | 5,593,000 | 14,701,717.00 | 0.38 |
| Guyana | 281,400 | 744,768.00 | 0.38 |
| Haiti | 3,648,000 | 9,719,932.00 | 0.38 |
| Cameroon | 7,397,000 | 19,711,291.00 | 0.38 |
| Lebanon | 1,526,000 | 4,143,101.00 | 0.37 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 64,000 | 179,506.00 | 0.36 |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | 38,000 | 106,836.00 | 0.36 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 560,300 | 1,596,677.00 | 0.35 |
| Yemen | 8,313,000 | 24,133,492.00 | 0.34 |
| Lesotho | 661,000 | 1,924,886.00 | 0.34 |
| Sudan | 15,340,000 | 45,047,502.00 | 0.34 |
| Togo | 2,187,000 | 6,771,993.00 | 0.32 |
| Bangladesh | 50,400,000 | 158,570,535.00 | 0.32 |
| Zambia | 4,407,000 | 13,881,336.00 | 0.32 |
| Kosovo | 562,000 | 1,825,632.00 | 0.31 |
| Turkmenistan | 1,500,000 | 4,997,503.00 | 0.30 |
| Madagascar | 5,997,000 | 21,926,221.00 | 0.27 |
| Uganda | 9,384,000 | 34,612,250.00 | 0.27 |
| Mali | 3,742,000 | 14,159,904.00 | 0.26 |
| Mozambique | 5,971,000 | 22,948,858.00 | 0.26 |
| Nepal | 7,618,000 | 29,391,883.00 | 0.26 |
| Chad | 2,686,000 | 10,758,945.00 | 0.25 |
| Zimbabwe | 2,991,000 | 12,084,304.00 | 0.25 |
| Mayotte | 48,100 | 209,530.00 | 0.23 |
| Liberia | 842,000 | 3,786,764.00 | 0.22 |
| Sierra Leone | 1,160,000 | 5,363,669.00 | 0.22 |
| Rwanda | 2,429,000 | 11,370,425.00 | 0.21 |
| Burkina Faso | 3,299,000 | 16,751,455.00 | 0.20 |
| Tuvalu | 2,000 | 10,544.00 | 0.19 |
| Djibouti | 128,800 | 757,074.00 | 0.17 |
| Nauru | 1,500 | 9,322.00 | 0.16 |
| Niger | 2,599,000 | 16,468,886.00 | 0.16 |
| Malawi | 2,400,000 | 15,879,252.00 | 0.15 |
| Papua New Guinea | 900,000 | 6,187,591.00 | 0.15 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 10,163,000 | 71,712,867.00 | 0.14 |
| Comoros | 100,000 | 794,683.00 | 0.13 |
| Timor-Leste | 116,000 | 1,177,834.00 | 0.10 |
| Burundi | 838,400 | 10,216,190.00 | 0.08 |
| Somalia | 641,000 | 9,925,640.00 | 0.06 |
| Solomon Islands | 30,000 | 571,890.00 | 0.05 |
| Ethiopia | 4,052,000 | 90,873,739.00 | 0.04 |
| Cuba | 443,000 | 11,087,330.00 | 0.04 |
| Central African Republic | 168,000 | 4,950,027.00 | 0.03 |
| American Samoa | 2,200 | 67,242.00 | 0.03 |
| Eritrea | 141,100 | 5,939,484.00 | 0.02 |
| Marshall Islands | 1,000 | 67,182.00 | 0.01 |
| Kiribati | 1,000 | 100,743.00 | 0.01 |
| Burma | 448,000 | 53,999,804.00 | 0.01 |
| Norfolk Island | 0 | 2,169.00 | 0.00 |
| Western Sahara | 0 | 507,160.00 | 0.00 |