Smartphones have become a crucial part of modern lifestyles across the world. Most of us cannot even imagine leaving our house without our smartphone and today over 86% of the population owns a smartphone.
Advanced technology has brought the world closer with its instant communication, online services, productivity, entertainment, navigation, and more. With each year passing there has been a significant growth in the figures of smartphone users.
In Fact, according to industry experts, the smartphone user number is likely to reach 7.1 billion by the end of 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at the top statistics related to Smartphones and address how many people own smartphones. (2024-2029).
Top Smartphone Ownership Statistics
- As of 2024, the number of smartphone users is predicted to reach 7.1 billion.
- Currently, there are 6.84 billion smartphones globally.
- Around 91% of college graduates own a smartphone.
- 50% of US citizens spend about 5 to 6 hours on their smartphones per day as of 2024.
- About 94.40% of Millennials in the United States own a Smartphone.
- Over the last five years, the smartphone user population has increased by 5% year-over-year.
- 55% of smartphone users come from Asia itself.
- 98% of Gen Z own a smartphone today.
- 2020 is considered as the peak year for smartphone ownership.
- The country with the highest number of smartphone users today is China.
- 70% of the digital media time in the United States is made from smartphones.
- Android is the leading operating system globally.
- College graduates have the highest potential to own a smartphone.
- The country with the highest smartphone usage per capita is Germany.
How Many Smartphone Users Are There?
As of 2023, the number of smartphone users worldwide reached 6.8 billion. Between 2016 to 2023 there was a rise in the annual rate by 9.5% in the global smartphone user base. In Fact, it is predicted by various industry experts that in 2024, the number of smartphone users will reach 7.1 billion. Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the number of smartphone users between 2016 to 2027:
| Year | Number of Smartphone users |
| 2016 | 3.7 billion |
| 2017 | 4.4 billion |
| 2018 | 5.1 billion |
| 2019 | 5.6 billion |
| 2020 | 5.9 billion |
| 2021 | 6.3 billion |
| 2022 | 6.6 billion |
| 2023 | 6.8 billion |
| 2024 | 7.1 billion |
| 2025 | 7.3 billion |
| 2026 | 7.5 billion |
| 2027 | 7.7 billion |
Distribution of Smartphone Ownership
China is the leading country with the highest number of smartphone users 974.69 million, followed by India ranking second on the list with 659 million. Regardless of China and India having the highest number of smartphone users in the list, the United States has the largest proportion of its population accessing smartphones with 81.6% of smartphone penetration. Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the top 10 countries with the highest number of smartphone users worldwide along with their population and penetration.
| Country | Total number of Smartphone users | Population | Penetration |
| China | 974.69 million | 1.43 billion | 68.4% |
| India | 659 million | 1.42 billion | 46.5% |
| United States | 276.14 million | 338.29 million | 81.6% |
| Indonesia | 187.7 million | 275.5 million | 68.1% |
| Brazil | 143.43 million | 215.31 million | 66.6% |
| Russia | 106.44 million | 144.71 million | 73.6% |
| Japan | 97.44 million | 123.95 million | 78.6% |
| Nigeria | 83.34 million | 218.54 million | 38.1% |
| Mexico | 78.37 million | 127.5 million | 61.5% |
| Pakistan | 72.99 million | 235.82 million | 31% |
Number of Smartphone users in the United States
The United States is one of the most developed countries in the world. In the US, almost 19 in 20 people own a cell phone. So, let’s take a look at the number of smartphone users in the United States based on various factors such as Age group, Gender, Residence, and more.
Number of smartphone users based on Gender in the US
In the US, males have a higher edge when it comes to owning a smartphone. According to Pew Research data, 80% of males own a smartphone in the US, compared to females 75%.
| Gender | Percentage who own a smartphone |
| Males | 80% |
| Females | 75% |
Number of smartphone users based on Age Group
There is no surprise that people between the ages of 18 to 29 are the leading age group with the highest number of smartphone users at 94%. Followed by the age group of 30 to 49 that have 89% of smartphone users which is also quite expected considering the advanced technology appointed in the workforce. Below we have mentioned a table displaying the number of smartphone users based on Age groups:
| Age Group | Percentage of Smartphone users |
| 18 to 29 | 94% |
| 30 to 49 | 89% |
| 50 to 64 | 73% |
| 65+ | 46% |
Reside in Urban Areas
A large proportion of the United States citizens who own a smartphone reside in the urban area by 83% which isn’t quite surprising. The second highest smartphone is suburban residents 78% and lastly, 65% of the smartphone users reside in rural districts.
Number of Smartphone users by Ethnicity
Based on ethnicity there is a very tiny difference among smartphone users. Like, three-quarters of the smartphone users are White by 77%, Hispanic also by 77%, and black by 75%.
Overall in the US, 98% of black citizens own a cell phone regardless of its type or form in comparison to 94% of the white population and 97% of the Hispanic population.
Education level of smartphone ownership
Another factor that plays a significant role among smartphone users is the education level of the user. For example, the cell phone ownership of college graduates is 97%, with 91% belonging to smartphone ownership. Similarly, an individual who has less than a high school degree education has a cell phone ownership of 90% with only 57% belonging to smartphones and 33% belonging to non-smartphone ownership.
Below we have mentioned a table displaying smartphone ownership based on education level:
| Education Level | Cell Phone Ownership | Smartphone Only Ownership | Non-Smartphone Only Ownership |
| Less than high-school | 90% | 57% | 33% |
| High-school graduate | 92% | 69% | 24% |
| Some College | 96% | 80% | 16% |
| College graduate | 97% | 91% | 6% |
The total amount of time people spend on their Smartphones in the US
Almost half of the US population 132.13 million users spend about 5 to 6 hours of their time using their smartphones. While only 5% of US smartphone users spend less than an hour accessing their smartphone. Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the number of hours users spend on smartphones in the United States.
| Total number of hours | Number of Smartphone users |
| Less than 1 hour | 13.76 million |
| 1 to 2 hours | 19.27 million |
| 3 to 4 hours | 60.56 million |
| 5 to 6 hours | 132.13 million |
| More than 6 hours | 49.55 million |
In general. Smartphones make up about 70% of digital media consumption. This includes a variety of activities where United States citizens spend their time such as Games, Social Media, Entertainment, and more.
Distribution of Smartphone users based on Generation
According to the reports by eMarketers, Millennials are the leading generation with the highest number of smartphone users 94.40%. Followed by Gen X at 88.80% and Gen Z at 72.80. Apparently, Gen Alpha consists of the lowest number of smartphone users by 17% which isn’t quite surprising considering the majority of individuals are still in school.
| Generation | Number of Smartphone users |
| Millennials | 94.40% |
| Gen X | 88.80% |
| Gen Z | 72.80% |
| Baby Boomers | 68.10% |
| Gen Alpha | 17% |
Distribution of Smartphone Market Share
When talking about smartphones, there is a wide range of brands that provide smartphones with a variety of features and capabilities. In 2012, Samsung was ranked as the leading brand with the highest market share by 30.3%. Followed by Apple with 18.7% and Huawei with 4%. By 2020, there were five brands that were leading the smartphone market share: Samsung (20.6%), Apple (15.9%), Huawei (14.6%), Xiaomi (11.4%), and Vivo (8.6%). Below we have mentioned a breakdown of the Smartphone market share between 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Samsung | Apple | Huawei | Xiaomi | OPPO | vivo | Lenovo |
| 2012 | 30.3% | 18.7% | 4% | – | – | – | 3.3% |
| 2013 | 31.3% | 15.3% | 4.9% | – | – | – | 4.5% |
| 2014 | 24.4% | 14.8% | 5.7% | 4.4% | – | – | 4.6% |
| 2015 | 22.3% | 16.1% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 3% | 2.6% | 5.2% |
| 2016 | 21.1% | 14.6% | 9.5% | 3.6% | 6.8% | 5.3% | – |
| 2017 | 21.7% | 14.7% | 10.5% | 6.3% | 7.6% | – | – |
| 2018 | 20.8% | 14.9% | 14.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% | – | – |
| 2019 | 21.6% | 13.9% | 17.6% | 9.2% | 8.3% | – | – |
| 2020 | 20.6% | 15.9% | 14.6% | 11.4% | – | 8.6% | – |
| Q2 2021 | 18.9% | 14.2% | – | 16.9% | 10.5% | 10.1% | – |
| Q2 2022 | 21.8% | 15.6% | – | 13.8% | 8.6% | 8.7% | – |
Leading Operating systems in Smartphones
Today, iOS and Android are the two leading operating systems with the highest smartphone market share. Android tops the list of highest operating system market share with 70.16% followed by iOS with 29.14%. Below we have mentioned a table displaying the market share of the operating system:
| Operating System | Operating system market share |
| Android | 70.16% |
| iOS | 29.14% |
| Samsung | 0.38% |
| KaiOS | 0.12% |
| Windows | 0.02% |
| Nokia | 0.01% |
| Linux | 0.01% |
Wrapping Up
More than 86% of the population across the world already owns a smartphone and in the coming years, the number of smartphone users is expected to grow to higher. The features and capabilities offered through a smartphone using advanced technology are growing the demand for smartphones among people. Today, you can access entertainment, games, social media, bank information, maps, emails, and more by simply using your smartphone. Due to this most industry specialists believe that smartphone user numbers will keep on rising.
