Burundi: Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Burundi's mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) rose 6.9 on 2022 (from 56.26 to 63.16).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +1.88 and a typical year strayed about 3.5 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 15.67 in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.44 in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 2.68 a year. A straight line explains 77% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Burundi had the 19th highest value of the 23 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Burundi in the 2023 ranking

• Tajikistan — 16th of 23: 76.22
• Madagascar — 17th of 23: 75.46
• Lao PDR — 18th of 23: 64.76
• Somalia, Fed. Rep. — 20th of 23: 53.96
• Yemen, Rep. — 21st of 23: 50.89
• Djibouti — 22nd of 23: 48.45

What this measures

Mobile cellular telephone subscriptions are subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provide access to the PSTN using cellular technology. The indicator includes (and is split into) the number of postpaid subscriptions, and the number of active prepaid accounts (i.e. that have been used during the last three months). The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications. It excludes subscriptions via data cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging and telemetry services.

Limitations: Operators have traditionally been the main source of telecommunications data, so information on subscriptions has been widely available for most countries. This gives a general idea of access, but a more precise measure is the penetration rate - the share of households with access to telecommunications. During the past few years more information on information and communication technology use has become available from household and business surveys. Also important are data on actual use of telecommunications services. Ideally, statistics on telecommunications (and other information and communications technologies) should be compiled for all three measures: subscriptions, access, and use.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 52 values

Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) in nearby economies

• Angola — 69.7 (2024)
• Benin — 125.94 (2024)
• Botswana — 164 (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 116.59 (2024)
• Cabo Verde — 111.84 (2024)
• Cameroon — 108.21 (2024)
• Central African Republic — 38.82 (2022)
• Chad — 72.93 (2024)
• Comoros — 109.86 (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 58.53 (2024)

More infrastructure data for Burundi

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 14,363 (2023)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 0.1 (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 8.65 million (2023)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — 8.6% (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 15.68% (2024)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 36.26 (2023)
• ICT goods imports (% total goods imports) — 1.84% (2023)
• ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) — 0.05% (2023)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 1 (2023)
• Fixed broadband subscriptions

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Burundi's mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)?

63.16 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How does Burundi rank?

19th highest of 23 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) unusual for Burundi?

In 2023, Burundi's mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) rose 6.9 on 2022 (from 56.26 to 63.16). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +1.88 and a typical year strayed about 3.5 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IT.CEL.SETS.P2, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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