Global Mobile Market: Subscribers, Subscriptions and Economic Impact

GSMA estimates that unique mobile subscribers make up around 70% of the world population [1]. In its 2025 edition, GSMA put unique subscriber penetration at 71% and forecast 6.5 billion unique subscribers by 2030 [2]. Subscriptions are higher than people because many users hold several SIMs: ITU counts 9.2 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions in 2025, or 112 per 100 inhabitants [3].

In 2025, mobile technologies and services generated USD 7.6 trillion for the global economy, equivalent to 6.4% of GDP [1]. GSMA expects this to grow to USD 11.3 trillion by 2030 as adoption of 5G, AI and other digital technologies increases [1].

The previous edition estimated the 2024 contribution at USD 6.5 trillion, about 5.8% of global GDP, with a forecast of almost USD 11 trillion, or 8.4% of GDP, by 2030 [2]. GSMA reports that 45% of operators see AI monetisation as a strategic priority [1].

Ericsson counts 8.84 billion worldwide mobile subscriptions at the end of 2025, up from 8.67 billion in 2024, and forecasts 9.54 billion in 2031 [4]. Smartphone subscriptions reached 7.47 billion in 2025 and are forecast to reach 8.49 billion in 2031 [4]. Mobile broadband subscriptions stood at 8.02 billion in 2025 [4].

Older technologies are declining: LTE subscriptions are forecast to fall from 4.66 billion in 2025 to 2.37 billion in 2031, while 5G subscriptions are forecast to rise from 2.94 billion to 6.40 billion [4].

ITU reports 142 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in high-income countries in 2025, twice the level in low-income countries at 70 per 100 [3]. The CIS region has the highest penetration, at 159 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants [3].

By absolute size, Ericsson's largest regions are North East Asia with 2.32 billion subscriptions and India, Nepal and Bhutan with 1.23 billion in 2025 [4]. Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest forecast growth, at 4% a year to 2031 [4].

Economic contribution and unique subscriber figures come from GSMA's The Mobile Economy 2026 and 2025 [1][2]. Unique subscribers count individual people, not SIM cards. ITU mobile-cellular subscriptions count active SIMs [3]. Ericsson subscription figures are year-end estimates with forecasts to 2031 from its Mobility Report key figures [4]; forecast values are marked with an F. Values are in USD and in the units shown. No FREEE.REPORT calculations are used except where labelled.