The mobile device industry combines cellular connections, smartphones, tablets, network infrastructure, app ecosystems and mobile data traffic. In 2024, the International Telecommunication Union counted 9.1 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide, while Ericsson estimated 7.13 billion smartphone subscriptions and 123 exabytes of mobile data traffic per month.
Key Mobile Device Industry Statistics
The most useful headline figures span connections, adoption, network technology, traffic, shipments and industry ecosystems:
- 9.1 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide were recorded in 2024.
- 112 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide were recorded in 2024.
- 95 mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide were recorded in 2024.
- 7.13 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide were estimated by Ericsson for 2024.
- 5.5 billion people, or 68% of the world population, were online in 2024.
- 138 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in high-income countries were estimated for 2024.
- 71 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in low-income countries were estimated for 2024.
- 2.30 billion 5G subscriptions worldwide were estimated for 2024.
- 4.93 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide were estimated for 2024.
- 19 GB of average monthly data traffic per smartphone subscription worldwide was estimated for 2024.
- 123 exabytes of total mobile data traffic per month worldwide were estimated for 2024.
- 1.26 billion worldwide smartphone shipments were forecast for 2025.
- More than 2.2 billion active Apple devices worldwide were reported in June 2024.
- More than 66 billion App Store app updates per week worldwide were reported for 2024.
- 9.43 billion worldwide mobile subscriptions are forecast by Ericsson for 2030.
- 6.29 billion worldwide 5G subscriptions are forecast by Ericsson for 2030.
Contents
- Global mobile subscriptions and smartphone scale
- Mobile device adoption by region and income
- 5G, LTE and network technology trends
- Mobile device data traffic and usage
- Smartphone shipments and ecosystem scale
- Mobile device industry forecasts through 2030
Global Mobile Device Subscriptions and Smartphone Scale
Subscription totals show the scale of connectivity, but they are not counts of unique people or physical devices. The ITU notes that multiple subscriptions may belong to one person, while Ericsson’s smartphone figure is also a subscription estimate.
| Measure | 2024 worldwide figure | Definition or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile-cellular subscriptions | 9.1 billion | Connections, not unique people or devices |
| Mobile-cellular penetration | 112 per 100 inhabitants | Multiple subscriptions are possible |
| Mobile-broadband penetration | 95 per 100 inhabitants | Subscriptions rather than unique users |
| Ericsson smartphone subscriptions | 7.13 billion | Subscriptions, not unique handsets |
| Ericsson mobile-broadband subscriptions | 7.71 billion | Subscription count, not unique users |
| Mobile-PC, tablet and router subscriptions | 290 million | Combined device category |
Source: Facts and Figures 2024 – Subscriptions and Ericsson Mobility Report June 2025.
The ITU estimated that mobile-broadband subscriptions grew at an average 5% annually from 2020 through 2024. Mobile-cellular subscriptions grew by an average 1.1% annually over the same period, while fixed-broadband subscriptions grew 5.9%; these are historical aggregate estimates and can be revised.
Fixed-telephone subscriptions declined by an average 2.8% annually from 2020 through 2024. That is a telephony comparison, not a measure of smartphone shipments or device ownership.
Mobile Device Adoption Statistics by Region and Income
Mobile subscriptions and internet use measure related but different forms of access. A subscription can exceed the population because people and organizations may hold multiple connections, while internet-use rates estimate individuals using the internet and are not mobile-only measures.
| Geography or group | Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2024 | Internet use, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 112 | 68% |
| High-income countries | About 138 | 93% |
| Low-income countries | About 71 | 27% |
| Africa | 98 | — |
| CIS | Nearly 147 | — |
| Least developed countries | — | 35% |
| Landlocked developing countries | — | 39% |
Sources: Facts and Figures 2024 – Subscriptions and Facts and Figures 2024 – Internet use. The regional subscription aggregates are not unique-person ownership rates.
The ITU estimated that 5.5 billion people were online in 2024, equal to 68% of the world population. The estimated offline population was 2.6 billion, or about one-third of the global population.
The income gap remains substantial. Internet use reached 93% in high-income countries but 27% in low-income countries in 2024; the ITU also estimated 35% use in least developed countries and 39% in landlocked developing countries.
5G, LTE and Mobile Network Technology Trends
Ericsson’s technology categories describe subscriptions associated with network capabilities, not necessarily unique devices. Its 2024 worldwide estimates show a large LTE base alongside rapid 5G expansion.
| Technology category | Worldwide subscriptions, 2024 |
|---|---|
| 5G | 2.30 billion |
| 5G standalone | 1.27 billion |
| LTE | 4.93 billion |
| WCDMA/HSPA | 550 million |
| GSM/EDGE-only | 870 million |
Source: Ericsson Mobility Report June 2025. Ericsson’s 5G standalone definition requires an SA-capable device and a commercially launched SA network.
Regional network mixes differ sharply. GSMA estimated that 5G represented 55% of connections in Greater China, 30% in Europe, and 17% in Asia Pacific excluding Greater China in 2024.
In that Asia Pacific grouping, 4G represented 71% of connections in 2024. GSMA’s technology-mix percentages exclude licensed cellular IoT, and rounded totals may not sum to 100%.
Mobile Device Data Traffic and Usage Statistics
Traffic statistics describe mobile-network activity rather than total data consumed by every device across every connection type. Ericsson estimated 123 exabytes of mobile data traffic per month worldwide in 2024, including 121 exabytes generated by smartphones.
| Device or traffic measure | Monthly worldwide estimate, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Average smartphone traffic | 19 GB per month per smartphone subscription |
| Average mobile-PC traffic | 26 GB per month per subscription |
| Average tablet traffic | 16 GB per month per subscription |
| Total mobile data traffic | 123 exabytes |
| Smartphone traffic | 121 exabytes |
| Mobile PCs and routers | 1.2 exabytes |
| Tablets | 1.0 exabyte |
| Total mobile-network traffic including FWA | 164 exabytes |
| Fixed-wireless-access traffic | 41 exabytes |
Source: Ericsson Mobility Report June 2025. Ericsson distinguishes handset-oriented mobile data traffic from fixed-wireless-access traffic.
The device-level estimates show why average traffic and aggregate traffic should not be treated as interchangeable. Mobile PCs averaged 26 GB per month per subscription, compared with 19 GB for smartphones and 16 GB for tablets, while the total mobile-network figure of 164 exabytes includes 41 exabytes of FWA traffic.
Smartphone Market Shipments and Ecosystem Scale
Shipments measure devices entering the market during a period, whereas installed-base and platform figures measure activity across an ecosystem. These company and analyst figures therefore should not be combined into a single market-size total.
IDC forecast 1.26 billion smartphone shipments worldwide in 2025, with 2.3% year-over-year growth. IDC published both figures as a February 2025 forecast, not as an observed or subsequently audited 2025 result.
Apple reported more than 2.2 billion active devices in its worldwide installed base in June 2024. The figure covers Apple’s device categories and is not an iPhone-only count.
Apple’s 2024 ecosystem report also reported more than 250,000 released APIs. The App Store facilitated an average of more than 66 billion app updates per week worldwide and more than 17 billion per week for US users in 2024; updates are not downloads or unique users.
Apple reported that it prevented over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions and blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards between 2020 and 2023. It also said it removed close to 152 million ratings during that period; these are company-reported security and moderation actions, not confirmed losses, savings or all app ratings.
Samsung Electronics reported KRW 300,871 billion in consolidated revenue for FY2024, covering January through December. This is whole-company revenue, not mobile-device-only revenue.
Sources: IDC Insights archive: Worldwide Smartphone Market Forecast to Grow 2.3% in 2025, Apple’s Product Use Electricity Strategy – June 2024, How Apple and the App Store support developers and users, and Results of the 56th Annual General Meeting.
Mobile Device Industry Forecasts Through 2030
Forecasts are scenario-based expectations, not observed outcomes. Ericsson forecasts 9.43 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide in 2030, including 8.29 billion smartphone subscriptions.
| Ericsson forecast | Worldwide 2030 figure |
|---|---|
| Mobile subscriptions | 9.43 billion |
| Smartphone subscriptions | 8.29 billion |
| 5G subscriptions | 6.29 billion |
| 5G standalone subscriptions | 3.66 billion |
| Average smartphone traffic | 37 GB per month per smartphone subscription |
| Mobile data traffic | 280 exabytes per month |
| Smartphone traffic | 274 exabytes per month |
| Fixed-wireless-access traffic | 151 exabytes per month |
Source: Ericsson Mobility Report June 2025. The 5G standalone forecast still requires a compatible device and a launched SA network, and FWA is not handset traffic.
GSMA projects smartphone adoption in Asia Pacific excluding Greater China to rise from 81% of connections in 2024 to 94% in 2030. The regional percentage excludes licensed cellular IoT, and the 2030 value is a forecast.
Together, these projections describe expected growth in smartphone-linked subscriptions, 5G, average traffic and network demand. They should remain labeled as forecasts because future adoption, technology deployment and traffic patterns can change.