In 2022, there were a reported **** million mobile cellular subscriptions in Ethiopia.

In 2022, China had more smartphone users than any country in the world at more than 974 million. India had the second most smartphone users, amounting to around 659. These two countries are expected to continue to lead the smartphone user ranking, as China and India also rank one and two in regards to the largest populations worldwide and still have strong growth potential due to a relatively low smartphone penetration rate.

Smartphone penetration as economic indicator
The smartphone penetration rate can be used as one indicator to measure how advanced the economy of a country is. A smartphone penetration rate above 70 percent, for example, is common in countries with advanced economies. Outside Western Europe and the United States, smartphone penetration was highest in South Korea, as more than 76 percent of the population is using a smartphone. Japan is a notable exception to the 70 percent line, with penetration rates just under 60 percent.

Smartphone growth opportunities
After annual smartphone sales more than tripled from 2009 to 2015, the market began to plateau around 1.5 million units per year. Growth for the smartphone market is, however, still possible in emerging economies in Africa with large populations, such as Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo, Tanzania, and Nigeria, where mobile phone penetration is already high or picking up, but smartphones are not as pronounced yet.

As of February 2025, Morocco had an internet penetration of over 92 percent, making it the country with the highest internet penetration in Africa. Libya ranked second, with 88.5 percent, followed by Seychelles with over 87 percent. On the other hand, The Central African Republic, Chad, and Burundi had the lowest prevalence of internet among their population. Varying but growing levels of internet adoption Although internet usage varies significantly across African countries, the overall number of internet users on the continent jumped to around 646 million from close to 181 million in 2014. Of those, almost a third lived in Nigeria and Egypt only, two of the three most populous countries on the continent. Furthermore, internet users are expected to surge, reaching over 1.1 billion users by 2029. Mobile devices dominate web traffic Most internet adoptions on the continent occurred recently. This is among the reasons mobile phones increasingly play a significant role in connecting African populations. As of early January 2024, around 74 percent of the web traffic in Africa was via mobile phones, over 14 percentage points higher than the world average. Furthermore, almost all African countries have a higher web usage on mobile devices compared to other devices, with rates as high as 92 percent in Sudan. This is partly due to mobile connections being cheaper and not requiring the infrastructure needed for traditional desktop PCs with fixed-line internet connections.

Éthiopie: Mobile phone subscribers, per 100 people: Pour cet indicateur, The International Telecommunication Union fournit des données pour la Éthiopie de 1960 à 2022. La valeur moyenne pour Éthiopie pendant cette période était de 8.46 subscribers per 100 people avec un minimum de 0 subscribers per 100 people en 1960 et un maximum de 56.02 subscribers per 100 people en 2022.

The number of smartphone users in Kenya was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 28.3 million users (+92.64 percent). After the nineteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 58.87 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Abstract

Business training has long been a staple of development policy, with annual expenditures exceeding US$ 1 billion in low- and middle-income countries. The vast majority of training is delivered in person, but there is growing interest in alternative modalities to deliver at scale. Digital delivery offers the potential to enhance impact, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility - especially for women, who may face constraints on their time and mobility. Challenges may include gaps in digital skills and ensuring participants’ engagement. This study conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a business training program targeted at women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia. Two modalities are tested: a smartphone app or in-person sessions, versus a control group.

Geographic coverage

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Analysis unit

Individual

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The World Bank’s Women Entrepreneurship Development Project (WEDP) has registered more than 40,000 women business owners in its Management Information System (MIS), out of which about 18,000 are based in Addis Ababa. To construct our sampling frame, we first conducted a screening interview with almost all the women entrepreneurs based in Addis Ababa to determine their eligibility and interest in the e-learning app via telephone. Specifically, the eligibility criteria were that the individual must: i) have access to and know how to use a smartphone; ii) have access to internet; iii) have completed high school education; iv) be a business owner or active manager; v) have 30 or fewer employees in their business and; (vi) be able to understand either English or Amharic. 6036 women ultimately completed the application interview.

Respondents meeting the eligibility criteria were asked at the end of the screening if they were interested in a free of cost business training mobile app. If they said yes, they were then invited to attend information sessions with a travel compensation. Information sessions were held every month for four months from March 2023 to June 2023 to reach a sample size of 2000 women. In every session that women attended (which ranged from 8 people attending to 40), women were first given a brief orientation about the experiment and randomization process and were then asked to complete a baseline survey on their phone. Once the survey was completed by participants, they were invited one by one to pick a token from an urn. Moderators placed equal numbers of four different tokens representing the three treatment groups and one control group.

The four groups were: a) Access to the e-learning app only (N=495); b) Access to the e-learning app + networking (N=502); c) Access to an in-person training (N=520); and d) Access to the e-learning app after the last follow-up survey (control) (N=483). Once women were randomized, only women assigned to receiving access to the e-learning app were given an orientation on the app, where moderators also helped every woman download the app and log in. Women assigned to the in-person training were told that they would receive more details on when and where the in-person business training would happen.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

• Application_form_questionnaire.docx = survey questionnaire for screening applicants for the study
• Baseline_questionnaire.xlsx = baseline survey questionnaire
• Followup_questionnaire.xlsx = follow-up survey questionnaire Administrative data was not collected through questionnaires. The codebook indicates which data are administrative.

Cleaning operations

Raw data from the application, baseline, follow-up, and administrative data has been merged to form one dataset. Data has been edited to hide personal identification information.

Socio demographic and behavioral characteristics of smart phone users at University of Gondar, 2020 (N = 808).

The Kenyan telecommunications market, valued at $3.79 billion in 2025, exhibits a steady growth trajectory, projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.24% from 2025 to 2033. This growth is fueled by increasing smartphone penetration, rising data consumption driven by the popularity of mobile money services like M-Pesa, and the expansion of 4G and 5G networks across the country. The market is highly competitive, with major players like Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, Telkom Kenya, and Equitel vying for market share. Growth in the data and messaging services segment is expected to be a significant driver, surpassing voice services in terms of revenue contribution in the coming years. The increasing adoption of Over-The-Top (OTT) services, such as streaming platforms and VoIP applications, also presents both opportunities and challenges for traditional telecom operators, forcing them to adapt their offerings and invest in network infrastructure to support higher bandwidth demands. Regulatory changes and government initiatives aimed at promoting digital inclusion also play a significant role in shaping the market's future. However, challenges remain, including the need for continued investment in network infrastructure to expand coverage and improve quality of service, particularly in rural areas, and the competitive pricing pressures within the market. The segment breakdown reveals a dynamic landscape. Voice services, while still substantial, are predicted to experience slower growth compared to data and messaging. The rapid uptake of mobile internet and the convenience of data-based communication is driving this shift. The OTT and PayTV segment is expected to witness significant expansion, fueled by the rising demand for entertainment and media content. This growth is not without its challenges, however. Competition among OTT providers and the potential for increased regulation will influence the long-term growth trajectory of this segment. The success of Kenyan telecom companies will hinge on their ability to innovate, adapt to evolving consumer needs, and invest strategically in infrastructure and services to capitalize on emerging opportunities. The market's future growth will depend on sustained economic development and continued government support for the expansion of digital infrastructure across the country. Recent developments include: October 2024: Safaricom has expanded its M-PESA Global service to include Ethiopia, enabling users to transfer mobile money from Kenya to Ethiopia. With this growth, the two companies strive to enhance the utilization and reach of mobile money in Ethiopia, which can help stimulate local economies and provide new prospects for people and businesses in the area. This partnership reflects our dedication to providing creative financial options that meet the changing demands of our clients.September 2024: Axian Telecom was reportedly looking to acquire Kenya-based mobile, internet and TV provider Wananchi Group., The Standard reported according to files made with regulator Comesa Competition Commission, Axian Telecom subsidiary Axian Telecom Fibre is looking to acquire 99.63% of Wananchi. It trades under the Zuku brand offering TV, broadband and mobile across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia.. Key drivers for this market are: Rising demand for 4G and 5G services, Growth of IoT usage in Telecom. Potential restraints include: Rising demand for 4G and 5G services, Growth of IoT usage in Telecom. Notable trends are: The Demand for 4G and 5G Services is Rising.

(N = 808).

(N = 808).