There are 5.9 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2010, estimates The International Telecommunication Union (2011). That is equivalent to 87 percent of the world population. And is a huge increase from 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions at the end of 2009.

• 90 percent of the world now lives in a place with access to a mobile network. For people living in rural communities this is lower at 80 percent.
• At the end of 2010 there will be 3.8 billion mobile subscriptions in the developing world – that’s 73 percent of global subscriptions.
• For more on the latest ITU stats read this: interview with ITU statistics chief Susan Teltscher

Mobile growth is being driven by demand developing world, says The ITU (October 2010) and is being fuelled by India and China in particular. These two countries collectively added 300 million new mobile subscriptions in 2010 – that’s more than the total mobile subscribers in the US.
• Mobile penetration is fast reaching saturation point at over 100 percent mobile penetration
• Mobile penetration in the developing world now is 68 percent.
• Mobile penetration in Africa is the lowest worldwide at 41 percent.
The world’s most populous nations have the most mobile subscriptions (unsurprisingly), China and India lead growth.
• China: 859 million mobile subscribers (64 percent of population) in Dec 2010, up 112 million from 2009. Of these 47 million were 3G mobile phone users (National Bureau of Statistics of China February 2011).
• India: 840.28 million subscribers (70 percent of population) in May 2011, up 223 million from May 2010 (TRAI, June 2010).
• USA: 302.9 million subscribers (96 percent of population) in Dec 2010 (CTIA).

There were 18.5 percent more mobile devices sold in 2010 compared to 2009.
IDC: 1388.2 million handsets were sold in 2010, up 18.5 percent compared with 2009.
Strategy Analytics: 1388.2 million handsets were sold in 2010, up 18.5 percent compared with 2009.