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Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States

United States: Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
23.61 per 100 people
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
50th
of 212 countries
All-time high
68.39 per 100 people
in 2000
All-time low
23.61 per 100 people
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States, 1960–2024

203040506070196019922024

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.

Analysis

In 2024, landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States stood at 23.61 per 100 people. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 40.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States peaked at 68.39 per 100 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.61 per 100 people, in 2024.

United States ranks 50th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.

Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States, year by year

Year per 100 people Change
1960 27.96 per 100 people —
1961 26.39 per 100 people -5.6%
1962 26.39 per 100 people +0.0%
1963 26.39 per 100 people +0.0%
1964 26.39 per 100 people +0.0%
1965 30.73 per 100 people +16.4%
1966 29.18 per 100 people -5.0%
1967 29.18 per 100 people +0.0%
1968 29.18 per 100 people +0.0%
1969 29.18 per 100 people +0.0%
1970 34.46 per 100 people +18.1%
1971 32.95 per 100 people -4.4%
1972 32.95 per 100 people +0.0%
1973 32.95 per 100 people +0.0%
1974 32.95 per 100 people +0.0%
1975 38.11 per 100 people +15.7%
1976 38.83 per 100 people +1.9%
1977 39.65 per 100 people +2.1%
1978 40.59 per 100 people +2.4%
1979 41.4 per 100 people +2.0%
1980 42.25 per 100 people +2.1%
1981 46.78 per 100 people +10.7%
1982 47.16 per 100 people +0.8%
1983 48.01 per 100 people +1.8%
1984 48.35 per 100 people +0.7%
1985 49.33 per 100 people +2.0%
1986 49.8 per 100 people +1.0%
1987 51.19 per 100 people +2.8%
1988 52.45 per 100 people +2.5%
1989 53.69 per 100 people +2.3%
1990 53.7 per 100 people +0.0%
1991 54.4 per 100 people +1.3%
1992 55.2 per 100 people +1.5%
1993 56.4 per 100 people +2.2%
1994 57.8 per 100 people +2.5%
1995 59.5 per 100 people +2.9%
1996 61.5 per 100 people +3.4%
1997 63.6 per 100 people +3.4%
1998 65.1 per 100 people +2.4%
1999 68 per 100 people +4.5%
2000 68.39 per 100 people +0.6%
2001 67.39 per 100 people -1.5%
2002 65.92 per 100 people -2.2%
2003 63.1 per 100 people -4.3%
2004 60.69 per 100 people -3.8%
2005 59.23 per 100 people -2.4%
2006 56.06 per 100 people -5.4%
2007 52.48 per 100 people -6.4%
2008 53.37 per 100 people +1.7%
2009 49.63 per 100 people -7.0%
2010 48.11 per 100 people -3.1%
2011 45.63 per 100 people -5.2%
2012 43.7 per 100 people -4.2%
2013 41.62 per 100 people -4.8%
2014 39.77 per 100 people -4.5%
2015 38.28 per 100 people -3.7%
2016 36.86 per 100 people -3.7%
2017 35.01 per 100 people -5.0%
2018 32.93 per 100 people -5.9%
2019 31.51 per 100 people -4.3%
2020 29.99 per 100 people -4.8%
2021 28.58 per 100 people -4.7%
2022 26.63 per 100 people -6.8%
2023 24.7 per 100 people -7.3%
2024 23.61 per 100 people -4.4%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 23.61 per 100 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.32 per 100 people, 97% of the median. (82 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 28.1 per 100 people 26.39 per 100 people 30.73 per 100 people 10
1970s 36.48 per 100 people 32.95 per 100 people 41.4 per 100 people 10
1980s 48.9 per 100 people 42.25 per 100 people 53.69 per 100 people 10
1990s 59.52 per 100 people 53.7 per 100 people 68 per 100 people 10
2000s 59.63 per 100 people 49.63 per 100 people 68.39 per 100 people 10
2010s 39.34 per 100 people 31.51 per 100 people 48.11 per 100 people 10
2020s 26.7 per 100 people 23.61 per 100 people 29.99 per 100 people 5

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 47 Curacao 24.79 per 100 people compare
  2. 48 Moldova 24.19 per 100 people compare
  3. 49 Puerto Rico 23.84 per 100 people compare
  4. 51 French Polynesia 23.47 per 100 people compare
  5. 52 Bahamas 23.2 per 100 people compare
  6. 53 Malaysia 23.11 per 100 people compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States?
Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 68.39 per 100 people in 2000.
What is the lowest landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 23.61 per 100 people in 2024.
How does United States rank for landline phone subscriptions per 100 people?
United States ranks 50th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is landline phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in United States. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/fixed-telephone-subscriptions-per-100-people-2/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people
Unit
per 100 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 11,787 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed