The GSMA Mobile Economy series provides the latest insights on the state of the mobile industry worldwide. Produced by our renowned in-house research team, GSMA Intelligence, these reports contain a range of technology, socio-economic and financial datasets, including forecasts out to 2025.
The global version of the report is published annually at MWC Barcelona, while regional editions are published throughout the year at M360 events, MWC Shanghai and MWC Americas. Find the most recent editions in the series below.
How is 5G changing the rules? How is mobile fuelling the economy and connecting the unconnected? How is IoT transforming your home, your city and your industry? Find out in the new Mobile Economy report, which looks back on the past decade and provides essential forecasts and recommendations for the next ten years.
2019 was a pivotal year for the Chinese mobile industry. The country was one of the first globally to launch 5G services. With operators and enterprises forging ahead in the development of 5G services, and growing consumer excitement, China has cemented its position as a global leader in 5G.
By 2023, mobile’s contribution to the Latin American economy will reach just over $300 billion as countries increasingly benefit from the increased uptake of mobile services and the associated improvements in productivity and efficiency.
Para 2023, la contribución de la tecnología móvil a la economía latinoamericana superará los US$300.000 millones, a medida que los países continúen beneficiándose del aumento en la adopción de servicios móviles y las derivadas mejoras en productividad y eficiencia.
By 2023, mobile’s contribution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will reach just over $220 billion as countries increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an area where mobile operators can grow their business beyond traditional communications. Industrial IoT connections in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will see strong growth out to 2025, driven by increased interest in smart cities and smart utilities.
Sub-Saharan Africa will remain the fastest growing region, with a CAGR of 4.6% and an additional 167 million subscribers over the period to 2025. This will take the total subscriber base to just over 600 million, representing around half the population.
The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2019 gives critical insight into a hugely diverse region. Across Asia Pacific countries are at very different stages of digital development. Consequently, the policy frameworks for a digital society vary as national governments address their own unique challenges.
Mobile technology can play a pivotal role in the digital transformation of the Pacific Islands, enabling access to life-enhancing services in areas such as health and education, while proving a catalyst for innovation and economic growth, with the promise of new jobs and increased tax revenues.
China is a huge mobile market, nearly four times the size of North America, with 1.2 billion unique subscribers at the end of 2018. Over 97% of these come from mainland China, with the remainder spread across three other markets – Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Of the 710 million people expected to subscribe to mobile services for the first time over the next seven years, half will come from the Asia Pacific region and just under a quarter will come from Sub-Saharan Africa. Find out more global and regional insights in The Mobile Economy 2019.
The mobile ecosystem is a major contributor to the regional economy as mobile technologies and services generated 5% of GDP in Latin America in 2017, a contribution that amounted to $280 billion of economic value added. Find out more of our the latest insights into the LATAM region with the Mobile Economy report.
Between 2017 and 2025, the MENA region will see the fastest subscriber growth rate of any region except Sub-Saharan Africa. Advanced MENA markets are also at the forefront of innovation, with the GCC Arab States in particular looking to be global leaders in the deployment of 5G networks.
Our new study reveals how Russia will lead the CIS region into the 5G era over the coming years, as operators invest in rapidly building out 5G coverage across the country’s population, following the launch of the region’s first 5G networks in 2020.
The 2018 edition of the GSMA report The Mobile Economy Europe highlights key developments and the outlook for the mobile industry, the contribution of the mobile ecosystem to economic growth and social development, and the role of mobile in driving consumer engagement and innovation in the region.
North America has the highest levels of mobile internet penetration, mobile broadband and smartphone adoption globally. Its mobile industry is now preparing for 5G, which will reach half the region’s total mobile connections by 2025.
For many consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa, mobiles are not just a communication device but also the primary channel for getting online and a vital tool to access life-enhancing services.
Asia Pacific has been the biggest contributor to global subscriber growth in recent years and still has room for growth. As of the end of 2017, there were 2.7 billion unique mobile subscribers in Asia Pacific.
Mobile adoption has grown rapidly in West Africa in recent years, helped by the expansion of mobile networks to underserved communities and the increasing affordability of services and device costs.
Having surpassed 5 billion people connected to mobile services in 2017, the global mobile industry will reach further milestones over the next eight years.
