Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa
South Africa: Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people was 1.58 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa stood at 1.58. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 26.1% on the previous year and down 75.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa peaked at 11.8 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.58, in 2024.
That places South Africa 162nd out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.93 | — |
| 1961 | 3.8 | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 3.8 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 3.8 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 3.8 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 3.93 | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 3.89 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 3.89 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3.89 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3.89 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 4.1 | +5.1% |
| 1971 | 4.15 | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 4.15 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 4.15 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4.15 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4.48 | +8.0% |
| 1976 | 4.64 | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 4.82 | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 5 | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 5.25 | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 5.54 | +5.4% |
| 1981 | 5.92 | +6.8% |
| 1982 | 6.24 | +5.5% |
| 1983 | 6.5 | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 6.57 | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 6.81 | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 7.26 | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 7.39 | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 7.66 | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 7.97 | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 8.14 | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 8.24 | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 8.15 | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 8.3 | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 8.58 | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 8.99 | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 9.44 | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 10.2 | +8.1% |
| 1998 | 11 | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 11.8 | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 10.52 | -10.8% |
| 2001 | 10.35 | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 10.24 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 10.12 | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 10.01 | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 9.89 | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 9.78 | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 9.66 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 9.54 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 9.41 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 9.29 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 9.16 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 9.01 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 7.09 | -21.4% |
| 2014 | 6.56 | -7.4% |
| 2015 | 7.28 | +11.0% |
| 2016 | 7.9 | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 8.35 | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 5.71 | -31.6% |
| 2019 | 3.4 | -40.5% |
| 2020 | 3.47 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 2.39 | -30.9% |
| 2022 | 2.1 | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 2.14 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 1.58 | -26.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.58 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.7, 15% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.58 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3436, 4.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -40.5% | 5.71 | 3.4 |
| 2018 | -31.6% | 8.35 | 5.71 |
| 2021 | -30.9% | 3.47 | 2.39 |
| 2024 | -26.1% | 2.14 | 1.58 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.87 | 3.8 | 3.93 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.49 | 4.1 | 5.25 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.79 | 5.54 | 7.97 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.28 | 8.14 | 11.8 | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.95 | 9.41 | 10.52 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.37 | 3.4 | 9.29 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.34 | 1.58 | 3.47 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa?
- Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people in South Africa was 1.58 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8 in 1999.
- What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.58 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people?
- South Africa ranks 162nd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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