Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa

South Africa: Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre was 1.12 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.12 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
151st
of 212 countries
All-time high
4.53 units per square kilometre
in 1999
All-time low
0.5358 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023

12345196119922023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa is 1.12 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and down 65.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 4.53 units per square kilometre in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.5358 units per square kilometre, in 1961.

That places South Africa 151st out of 212 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961 to 2023.
Year units per square kilometre Change
1961 0.5358 units per square kilometre —
1962 0.5358 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1963 0.5358 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1964 0.5358 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1965 0.6224 units per square kilometre +16.2%
1966 0.6224 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1967 0.6224 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1968 0.6224 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1969 0.6224 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1970 0.7551 units per square kilometre +21.3%
1971 0.7551 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1972 0.7551 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1973 0.7551 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1974 0.7551 units per square kilometre +0.0%
1975 0.9529 units per square kilometre +26.2%
1976 1.01 units per square kilometre +6.3%
1977 1.08 units per square kilometre +6.6%
1978 1.15 units per square kilometre +6.7%
1979 1.24 units per square kilometre +7.9%
1980 1.35 units per square kilometre +8.2%
1981 1.47 units per square kilometre +9.6%
1982 1.6 units per square kilometre +8.3%
1983 1.71 units per square kilometre +7.0%
1984 1.77 units per square kilometre +3.9%
1985 1.89 units per square kilometre +6.7%
1986 2.09 units per square kilometre +10.2%
1987 2.2 units per square kilometre +5.4%
1988 2.36 units per square kilometre +7.4%
1989 2.54 units per square kilometre +7.5%
1990 2.73 units per square kilometre +7.6%
1991 2.83 units per square kilometre +3.6%
1992 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.7%
1993 2.96 units per square kilometre +3.9%
1994 3.11 units per square kilometre +5.1%
1995 3.3 units per square kilometre +6.0%
1996 3.51 units per square kilometre +6.4%
1997 3.83 units per square kilometre +9.1%
1998 4.18 units per square kilometre +9.3%
1999 4.53 units per square kilometre +8.2%
2000 4.09 units per square kilometre -9.7%
2001 4.06 units per square kilometre -0.8%
2002 4.05 units per square kilometre -0.2%
2003 4.05 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2004 4.04 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2005 4.04 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2006 4.03 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2007 4.02 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2008 4.02 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2009 4.01 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2010 4.01 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2011 4 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2012 4 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2013 3.19 units per square kilometre -20.0%
2014 3.01 units per square kilometre -5.9%
2015 3.41 units per square kilometre +13.2%
2016 3.73 units per square kilometre +9.5%
2017 3.97 units per square kilometre +6.4%
2018 2.76 units per square kilometre -30.4%
2019 1.67 units per square kilometre -39.5%
2020 1.73 units per square kilometre +3.7%
2021 1.21 units per square kilometre -29.9%
2022 1.08 units per square kilometre -11.0%
2023 1.12 units per square kilometre +3.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1.12 units per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.6 units per square kilometre, 12% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 1.12 units per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1851 units per square kilometre, 6.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre 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.

YearChange FromTo
2019 -39.5% 2.76 units per square kilometre 1.67 units per square kilometre

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0.5839 units per square kilometre 0.5358 units per square kilometre 0.6224 units per square kilometre 9
1970s 0.9217 units per square kilometre 0.7551 units per square kilometre 1.24 units per square kilometre 10
1980s 1.9 units per square kilometre 1.35 units per square kilometre 2.54 units per square kilometre 10
1990s 3.38 units per square kilometre 2.73 units per square kilometre 4.53 units per square kilometre 10
2000s 4.04 units per square kilometre 4.01 units per square kilometre 4.09 units per square kilometre 10
2010s 3.37 units per square kilometre 1.67 units per square kilometre 4.01 units per square kilometre 10
2020s 1.28 units per square kilometre 1.08 units per square kilometre 1.73 units per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 148 Russia 1.27 units per square kilometre compare
  2. 149 Djibouti 1.24 units per square kilometre compare
  3. 150 Peru 1.18 units per square kilometre compare
  4. 152 Kazakhstan 0.9953 units per square kilometre compare
  5. 153 Kyrgyzstan 0.967 units per square kilometre compare
  6. 154 Myanmar 0.9005 units per square kilometre 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, per square kilometre in South Africa?
Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa was 1.12 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.53 units per square kilometre in 1999.
What is the lowest landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5358 units per square kilometre in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre?
South Africa ranks 151st out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
Is landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 65.1%. 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, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

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

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page; please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/landline-phone-subscriptions-per-square-kilometre/south-africa/">Landline phone subscriptions, per square kilometre in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Landline phone subscriptions divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Landline phone subscriptions ÷ Land area (sq. km)

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, per square kilometre
Unit
units per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
212 places, 10,974 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Landline phone subscriptions divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.