Zambia: Fixed telephone subscriptions

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Zambia's fixed telephone subscriptions fell 9.3% on 2023 (from 81,264 to 73,688).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +1.2% and a typical year strayed about 15.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 46.1% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 27.6% in 2011. 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 downward, about 4,106 a year. A straight line explains 58% 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, Zambia had the 116th 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 Zambia in the 2024 ranking

• Tanzania — 113th of 146: 78,299
• Fiji — 114th of 146: 77,765
• Namibia — 115th of 146: 77,390
• Norway — 117th of 146: 73,208
• Iceland — 118th of 146: 68,518
• Cameroon — 119th of 146: 67,507

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 65 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 Zambia

• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 0.35 (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 23.17 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 108.71 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 12,748 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 321,739 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 104.32 (2023)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 14 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents — 18 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 27.03% (2024)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population)

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 Zambia's fixed telephone subscriptions?

73,688 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 391.25% from 15,000 in 1960 (2.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 118,388 in 2010 and the lowest 15,000 in 1960.

How does Zambia rank?

116th highest of 146 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Zambia's fixed telephone subscriptions fell 9.3% on 2023 (from 81,264 to 73,688). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +1.2% and a typical year strayed about 15.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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