5G Networks & Coverage
5G is the fastest-scaling mobile generation ever, passing 2.9 billion subscriptions by the end of 2025. Yet coverage and adoption remain deeply uneven across regions. These charts track 5G growth, its share of mobile connections, and the gap between networks reaching people and people actually using them.
Key 5G Insights
Fastest mobile generation yet
5G subscriptions surpassed 2 billion connections by the end of 2024 (GSMA) and reached 2.9 billion by the end of 2025 (Ericsson), with 151 million added in the final quarter of 2025 alone.
Set to overtake 4G by 2028
GSMA forecasts 5G will account for 57% of total mobile connections by 2030, while Ericsson expects 5G to overtake 4G as the dominant technology by the end of 2027 and reach roughly two-thirds of subscriptions by 2031.
A wide regional divide
5G penetration ranges from 79% of subscriptions in North America to just 32% in the India region and around 6% in Sub-Saharan Africa, where GSMA expects 5G to reach only about 17% of connections by 2030.
Usage gap dwarfs coverage gap
About 3.4 billion people did not use mobile internet at the end of 2024, yet roughly 90% of them already live within mobile broadband coverage — the usage gap is about nine times larger than the coverage gap (GSMA).
Global 5G subscriptions: growth and forecast
5G subscriptions worldwide from launch through 2025, with Ericsson's forecast to 2031. Adoption has scaled faster than any previous mobile generation.
Show data table
| 5G subscriptions (actual, billions) | 5G subscriptions (Ericsson forecast, billions) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.22 | – |
| 2021 | 0.66 | – |
| 2022 | 1.05 | – |
| 2023 | 1.6 | – |
| 2024 | 2.25 | – |
| 2025 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| 2027 | – | 4.4 |
| 2030 | – | 6 |
| 2031 | – | 6.4 |
Key Finding: 5G grew from 0.2 billion subscriptions in 2020 to 2.9 billion by the end of 2025, and Ericsson forecasts 6.4 billion by 2031.
5G share of total mobile subscriptions
5G as a proportion of all mobile subscriptions at the end of 2025. The remaining share is still carried by 4G, 3G and 2G networks.
Show data table
| Share of mobile subscriptions, end of 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 5G subscriptions | 33 |
| 4G / 3G / 2G subscriptions | 67 |
Key Finding: Around one-third (33%) of all mobile subscriptions ran on 5G at the end of 2025, rising toward two-thirds by 2031.
5G penetration by region (end 2025)
5G as a share of total mobile subscriptions across major regions, showing the gap between leading markets and emerging ones.
Show data table
| 5G as % of mobile subscriptions (end 2025) | |
|---|---|
| North America | 79 |
| North East Asia | 61 |
| Western Europe | 55 |
| Gulf (GCC) | 55 |
| India region | 32 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 6 |
Key Finding: North America leads at 79% 5G penetration, while Sub-Saharan Africa sits near 6% — a more than tenfold regional gap.
5G population coverage outside mainland China
The share of the population able to access a 5G signal outside mainland China, comparing end-2025 with Ericsson's 2030 forecast.
Show data table
| 5G population coverage outside mainland China (%) | |
|---|---|
| End of 2025 | 50 |
| By 2030 (forecast) | 85 |
Key Finding: Roughly 50% of the population outside mainland China had 5G coverage at the end of 2025, projected to reach about 85% by 2030.
The mobile internet usage gap
How the world population splits between mobile internet users, those covered but not using it (usage gap), and those with no network (coverage gap), end 2024.
Show data table
| Share of world population, end 2024 (%) | |
|---|---|
| Use mobile internet | 58 |
| Usage gap (covered, not using) | 38 |
| Coverage gap (no network) | 4 |
Key Finding: About 38% of people live under mobile broadband coverage but do not use it, versus only ~4% with no coverage at all.
Understanding 5G Data
Connections vs unique subscribers
GSMA counts connections (active SIM cards), so its totals exceed the number of people connected because many users hold multiple SIMs or devices. Ericsson reports subscriptions on a similar basis. Both differ from unique mobile subscribers — the count of distinct individuals — which is always lower. A single person can generate several 5G connections.
Coverage vs adoption: the usage gap
Coverage measures the share of the population that could connect to a 5G (or mobile broadband) signal; adoption measures who actually subscribes and uses it. The difference is the usage gap. GSMA finds about 90% of people not using mobile internet already live in covered areas, so closing the divide depends far more on affordability, devices and skills than on building new towers.
Forecast caveats
Figures for 2030 and 2031 are projections, not observations. They depend on spectrum availability, device prices, network investment and economic conditions, and Ericsson and GSMA periodically revise them. Ericsson's main forecast horizon runs to 2031, while GSMA's headline 5G share figure of 57% refers to 2030; treat all forward-looking numbers as estimates with uncertainty.
Definition differences
GSMA and Ericsson use slightly different scopes, geographies and timing, so their headline numbers are close but not identical. For example, Ericsson often quotes 5G population coverage excluding mainland China, which depresses the global figure relative to a worldwide measure. Regional groupings (such as “North East Asia” or “India region”) also differ between sources, so cross-report comparisons should be made with care.