Smartphone users by country worldwide 2021

In 2021, China had more smartphone users than any country in the world at more than 950 million. India had the second most smartphone users, although almost only half as many as China. 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.