Gabon: Fixed telephone subscriptions

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Gabon's fixed telephone subscriptions rose 23% on 2023 (from 54,557 to 67,119).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 14.6% 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 36.9% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 27.4% in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 5,019 a year. A straight line explains 81% 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 2024, Gabon had the 120th highest value of the 146 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 Gabon in the 2024 ranking

• Norway — 117th of 146: 73,208
• Iceland — 118th of 146: 68,518
• Cameroon — 119th of 146: 67,507
• Cabo Verde — 121st of 146: 61,294
• Kenya — 122nd of 146: 57,017
• Andorra — 123rd of 146: 53,215

What this measures

Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.

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 sum.

All 44 values

Fixed telephone subscriptions in nearby economies

• Angola — 80,267 (2024)
• Benin — 1,350 (2024)
• Botswana — 83,182 (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 81,718 (2024)
• Burundi — 14,363 (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 61,294 (2024)
• Cameroon — 67,507 (2024)
• Central African Republic — 2,088 (2022)
• Chad — 0 (2024)
• Comoros — 8,823 (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 0 (2024)

More infrastructure data for Gabon

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 3.18 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 125.34 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 2,305 (2016)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 77,320 (2016)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 2.64 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 30.01% (2024)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — 68.72% (2024)
• Scientific and technical journal articles — 90.57 (2023)
• Rail lines (total route-km) — 648 (2021)
• Railways, goods transported (million ton-km)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Gabon's fixed telephone subscriptions?

67,119 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is up 542.9% from 10,440 in 1981 (4.42% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 67,119 in 2024 and the lowest 10,440 in 1981.

How does Gabon rank?

120th highest of 146 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in fixed telephone subscriptions unusual for Gabon?

In 2024, Gabon's fixed telephone subscriptions rose 23% on 2023 (from 54,557 to 67,119). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 14.6% 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?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IT.MLT.MAIN, 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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