Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa

South Africa: Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled was 1.01 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.01 million
Change on year
down 25.1%
World rank
67th
of 212 countries
All-time high
5.49 million
in 1999
All-time low
650,013
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa, 1960–2024

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M196019922024

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

South Africa recorded 1.01 million for landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.1% on the previous year and down 72.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa peaked at 5.49 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 650,013, in 1960.

South Africa ranks 67th of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa, 1960 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1960 650,013 —
1961 650,013 +0.0%
1962 650,013 +0.0%
1963 650,013 +0.0%
1964 650,013 +0.0%
1965 755,000 +16.2%
1966 755,000 +0.0%
1967 755,000 +0.0%
1968 755,000 +0.0%
1969 755,000 +0.0%
1970 916,000 +21.3%
1971 916,000 +0.0%
1972 916,000 +0.0%
1973 916,000 +0.0%
1974 916,000 +0.0%
1975 1.16 million +26.2%
1976 1.23 million +6.3%
1977 1.31 million +6.6%
1978 1.40 million +6.7%
1979 1.51 million +7.9%
1980 1.63 million +8.2%
1981 1.79 million +9.6%
1982 1.94 million +8.3%
1983 2.07 million +7.0%
1984 2.15 million +3.9%
1985 2.30 million +6.7%
1986 2.53 million +10.2%
1987 2.67 million +5.4%
1988 2.87 million +7.4%
1989 3.08 million +7.5%
1990 3.32 million +7.6%
1991 3.43 million +3.6%
1992 3.46 million +0.7%
1993 3.59 million +3.9%
1994 3.78 million +5.1%
1995 4.00 million +6.0%
1996 4.26 million +6.4%
1997 4.65 million +9.1%
1998 5.08 million +9.3%
1999 5.49 million +8.2%
2000 4.96 million -9.7%
2001 4.92 million -0.8%
2002 4.92 million -0.2%
2003 4.91 million -0.1%
2004 4.90 million -0.1%
2005 4.90 million -0.1%
2006 4.89 million -0.1%
2007 4.88 million -0.1%
2008 4.88 million -0.1%
2009 4.87 million -0.1%
2010 4.86 million -0.1%
2011 4.85 million -0.1%
2012 4.85 million -0.1%
2013 3.88 million -20.0%
2014 3.65 million -5.9%
2015 4.13 million +13.2%
2016 4.52 million +9.5%
2017 4.81 million +6.4%
2018 3.35 million -30.4%
2019 2.02 million -39.5%
2020 2.10 million +3.7%
2021 1.47 million -29.9%
2022 1.31 million -11.0%
2023 1.35 million +3.3%
2024 1.01 million -25.1%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1.01 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 734,874, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 1.01 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56,011, 18.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 702,506 650,013 755,000 10
1970s 1.12 million 916,000 1.51 million 10
1980s 2.30 million 1.63 million 3.08 million 10
1990s 4.11 million 3.32 million 5.49 million 10
2000s 4.90 million 4.87 million 4.96 million 10
2010s 4.09 million 2.02 million 4.86 million 10
2020s 1.45 million 1.01 million 2.10 million 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 64 Dominican Republic 1.15 million compare
  2. 65 Croatia 1.10 million compare
  3. 66 Ireland 1.08 million compare
  4. 68 Lebanon 924,461 compare
  5. 69 El Salvador 885,101 compare
  6. 70 Sweden 796,716 compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa?
Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa was 1.01 million in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5.49 million in 1999.
What is the lowest landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 650,013 in 1960.
How does South Africa rank for landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled?
South Africa ranks 67th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 72.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/landline-phone-subscriptions-gaps-filled/south-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

Landline phone subscriptions with 138 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Landline phone subscriptions, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
212 places, 11,941 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Landline phone subscriptions with 138 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.