Mobile telephones have become increasingly relevant to many aspects of modern life, a phenomenon that is evidenced by the development in the rate of households owning a mobile telephone. Currently, approximately 95 percent of households in the United Kingdom (UK) own a mobile phone, a figure that has remained constant since 2015. That sits in stark contrast with 2000-2001, when less than half of all households in the UK reported owning a mobile telephone.
Smartphones leading the charge
Given their role as the digital swiss army knife of modern tech, it is no surprise that smartphones are behind much of the growth in this space. Smartphone adoption reached 78 percent during the first half of 2018, up from 29 percent at the beginning of 2011. Smartphone ownership drops off steeply for users aged 55 or older, with just 55 percent of residents in that age group reporting that they own a smartphone compared with 95 percent of people aged from 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 years of age.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Statista Accounts:
Access All Statistics. Starting from $468 / Year
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Office for National Statistics (UK). (January 24, 2019). Percentage of households with mobile phones in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1996 to 2018 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Percentage of households with mobile phones in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1996 to 2018." Chart. January 24, 2019. Statista. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2019). Percentage of households with mobile phones in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1996 to 2018. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 23, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Percentage of Households with Mobile Phones in The United Kingdom (Uk) from 1996 to 2018." Statista, Statista Inc., 24 Jan 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/
Office for National Statistics (UK), Percentage of households with mobile phones in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1996 to 2018 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/ (last visited May 23, 2022)