Mobile Subscriptions - Ranking 2002
In 2002, Luxembourg (105.96), Israel (98.63), and Italy (94.39) ranked highest in mobile subscriptions among all countries. Tuvalu ranked lowest at 0.00.
Data & analysis
- Hong Kong SAR, China — 328.79
- Libya — 270.32
- Montenegro — 220.27
- Antigua and Barbuda — 197.38
- El Salvador — 192.88
The 2025 mobile subscription data, sourced from the World Bank, reveals a stark global digital divide. At the top, Hong Kong SAR, China leads with 328.79 subscriptions per 100 people, followed by Libya at 270.32, indicating that multiple SIM ownership and prepaid plans are common in both a financial hub and a post-conflict economy. The bottom of the ranking is anchored by Liberia at 13.30 and Micronesia at 18.82, where limited infrastructure, low electrification rates, and high poverty constrain network expansion. A structural reason for this lag is the prohibitive cost of network deployment in sparsely populated, remote territories, which deters private investment. As 5G and satellite-based internet services become more affordable, they could reshuffle the leaderboard by enabling rapid connectivity leaps in underserved regions, potentially narrowing the gap between the top and bottom of the ranking.
| Rank | Country | Value | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|