Global 5G Adoption: Subscriptions, Coverage and Forecasts to 2031
5G adoption worldwide: close to 3.3 billion 5G subscriptions in 2026, 55% population coverage in 2025, and Ericsson's forecast of 6.4 billion by 2031.
- Updated October 1, 2026
- 5 min read
- 3 sources
- Global
Executive Summary
Ericsson reports that 5G subscriptions are close to 3.3 billion in its June 2026 Mobility Report, after reaching 2.94 billion at the end of 2025. It forecasts 6.40 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031. ITU estimates around 3 billion 5G subscriptions in 2025, about one-third of mobile broadband subscriptions, and 55% population coverage. Coverage is uneven: 84% in high-income countries versus 4% in low-income countries.
Key Numbers
Charts
Ericsson year-end estimates for 2024 and 2025 and forecast for 2031 (2031F).
- 20242,280M
- 20252,940M
- 2031F6,400M
Ericsson estimates. China is a subset of North East Asia and is not shown separately.
- North East Asia1,400M
- India, Nepal and Bhutan430M
- North America370M
- Western Europe300M
- South East Asia and Oceania160M
- Latin America110M
- Central and Eastern Europe80M
- Middle East and North Africa80M
- Sub-Saharan Africa30M
Overview
Ericsson's June 2026 Mobility Report states that the number of 5G subscriptions is now close to 3.3 billion [2]. Its key figures put 5G subscriptions at 2.28 billion at the end of 2024 and 2.94 billion at the end of 2025 [1]. That is about 33% of the 8.84 billion worldwide mobile subscriptions in 2025 (FREEE.REPORT calculation) [1].
ITU's Facts and Figures 2025 estimated the number of 5G subscriptions for the first time, at around 3 billion, or about one-third of all mobile broadband subscriptions [3].
Regional Analysis
North East Asia is the largest 5G region, with 1.40 billion subscriptions at the end of 2025, of which 1.20 billion are in mainland China [1]. India, Nepal and Bhutan had 430 million 5G subscriptions and North America 370 million in 2025 [1].
The fastest forecast growth is in regions starting from a low base: Ericsson expects Sub-Saharan Africa to grow at 54% a year from 2025 to 2031, Latin America at 32% and Central and Eastern Europe at 30% [1].
Coverage
Forecast
Ericsson forecasts 6.40 billion 5G subscriptions in 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 14% from 2025 [1]. 5G standalone subscriptions are forecast to grow from 1.65 billion in 2025 to 3.87 billion in 2031 [1]. Over the same period LTE subscriptions are forecast to fall from 4.66 billion to 2.37 billion [1]. Ericsson also forecasts 180 million 6G subscriptions by 2031 [1].
Methodology
Subscription data and forecasts come from Ericsson Mobility Report key figures and the report landing page for the June 2026 edition [1][2]. A 5G subscription is a mobile subscription associated with a 5G-capable device on a 5G network, as defined by Ericsson. Coverage and the ITU subscription estimate come from ITU Facts and Figures 2025 [3]. Forecast values are marked with an F. The 5G share of total subscriptions (2,940 / 8,840 million) is a FREEE.REPORT calculation.
Sources
- [1]
Global and regional key figures - Ericsson Mobility Report / Ericsson / Accessed October 1, 2026 / View source
- [2]
Ericsson Mobility Report / Ericsson / June 2026 / Accessed October 1, 2026 / View source
- [3]
Global number of Internet users increases, but disparities deepen key digital divides / International Telecommunication Union (ITU) / 2025-11-17 / Accessed October 1, 2026 / View source
Figures are reproduced from the publishers above. Calculations marked as our own are derived from these figures. Always check the original source before using a number.
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