How can a country have more than 100 SIMs per 100 people?

The figure counts active SIM cards, not unique people. Many users carry two SIMs for separate work and personal numbers or to exploit different network deals, and additional SIMs power tablets, hotspots and IoT devices. So the count often exceeds the population, sometimes well above 100 per 100 inhabitants.

What does SIMs per 100 people measure?

It is the number of active mobile-cellular subscriptions divided by the population, scaled to 100. A value of 120 means 120 active SIMs for every 100 residents. It measures subscription density, not the share of people who own a phone, which is always lower.

Does high SIM penetration mean everyone has a phone?

Not necessarily. Because some people hold several SIMs while others hold none, a country above 100 per 100 can still leave a minority without any mobile service. Unique mobile ownership is a separate, lower statistic than SIM penetration.

Which regions lead in mobile penetration?

Parts of East Asia, the Gulf states and Eastern Europe show very high SIM density, often well over 150 per 100 people, driven by dual-SIM culture and prepaid markets. Some lower-income countries remain below 100 as networks and affordability catch up.

Are these figures exact?

No. Subscription counts come from operator reporting and definitions of an active SIM vary, with inactive accounts sometimes lingering. The figures here are approximate ITU/GSMA-style estimates for a recent year, intended for comparison.

What is the Mobile Phone Penetration by Country Reference?

Reference table of mobile subscription rates — active SIM cards per 100 inhabitants — and total subscriptions for major countries, with region. Filter by country or region and sort by penetration or total. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Mobile Phone Penetration by Country Reference

Name: Mobile Phone Penetration by Country Reference
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Mobile subscriptions around the world

This reference shows mobile-cellular penetration for major countries: active SIM cards per 100 inhabitants and total subscriptions in millions, alongside each country’s region. Sort by either column and filter by country or region. Many countries exceed 100 per 100 people — the table highlights those.

What the metric actually measures

The headline figure is active SIM cards per 100 inhabitants. Crucially, it counts SIM cards, not people. A single person may hold several SIMs — one for work and one personal, plus cards in a tablet, mobile hotspot or connected device. Those extra subscriptions push the count above the population, so many countries register well over 100 per 100 residents.

That makes SIM penetration distinct from unique mobile ownership, which counts how many individuals have at least one phone and is always lower. A country can sit at 150 SIMs per 100 people while a minority still has no mobile service at all. The total-subscriptions column shows absolute scale, dominated by the most populous nations.

Why penetration exceeds 100 in many markets

There are three main reasons a country’s SIM count outruns its population:

Dual-SIM culture. Many handsets sold in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East have two SIM slots. Users keep one slot for calls on a local network and a second for cheaper data or international roaming. Carrying two active SIMs on one device adds two subscriptions to the count for one person.

Prepaid top-up behavior. In prepaid-dominant markets, people sometimes hold a secondary SIM on a different operator to benefit from on-net or promotional rates, then let one go dormant. Operators count a SIM as active for 90 days or more after last use, so temporarily idle secondary SIMs remain in the tally.

Connected devices. IoT SIMs in tablets, home routers, fleet trackers, payment terminals, and industrial sensors all count as subscriptions. In mature markets with dense IoT deployment, connected-device subscriptions form a meaningful share of the total.

Reading the data for business decisions

Targeting a market? A country below 50 SIMs per 100 people may indicate infrastructure gaps that affect distribution and payment. A country above 130 suggests a saturated carrier market with fierce competition on price.

Contrasting regions. Parts of East Asia, the Gulf states, and Eastern Europe show the highest SIM density — often 130–160 per 100 — driven by the factors above. Sub-Saharan Africa shows wide variation: major urban markets have grown rapidly while rural penetration trails. The table lets you scan across regions in one view.

Total vs. per-capita. China and India dominate the total-subscription count by sheer population, but their per-100 figures are more moderate because both populations are large. Smaller nations can lead on penetration density while sitting far down the total-subscription list.

Notes and caveats

Values above 100 reflect dual-SIM habits, prepaid markets and IoT devices, not more phones than people.
Inactive or rarely used SIMs may linger in operator counts, inflating totals.
SIM penetration is not the same as smartphone ownership or mobile internet use.
Figures are approximate ITU/GSMA-style estimates for a recent year, for reference and comparison, and should be cross-checked against current ITU or GSMA Intelligence data for any commercial or policy decision.