Telephones per 100 Population in India from 2004 to 2024, by State

The most striking observation is India’s extraordinary telecommunications growth trajectory, with the national teledensity increasing more than twelve-fold from just 7.1 telephones per 100 population in 2004 to 85.65 by 2024. This represents one of the world’s most dramatic telecommunications expansions, transforming India from a severely under-connected nation to one where mobile connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous in many regions. The most explosive growth occurred between 2004-2011, when teledensity increased ten-fold before stabilizing and seeing more moderate growth thereafter. Urban centers consistently maintained significantly higher teledensity than rural areas throughout this period. Delhi stands out with an exceptional 279.57 telephones per 100 population in 2024 (indicating many residents own multiple devices), followed by Kolkata (134.59) and Mumbai (130.01). These metropolitan areas achieved teledensity levels comparable to developed nations much earlier than the rest of the country. Interestingly, Chennai’s data reporting ceased after 2011, when it had already reached 163.4 telephones per 100 population. Several states demonstrated remarkable telecommunications development. Kerala, which started with a relatively high 14.9 telephones per 100 population in 2004, achieved 121.65 by 2024, reflecting its consistently high social development indicators. Similarly, Himachal Pradesh achieved impressive growth from 10.1 to 119.43, despite its challenging mountainous geography. Punjab (114.36) and Tamil Nadu (103.23) also surpassed the 100-mark, indicating saturation-level connectivity. Conversely, some states—particularly in the eastern and central regions—continued to lag significantly. Bihar, despite improving from just 1.7 telephones per 100 population in 2004 to 57.16 by 2024, remained well below the national average. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh (68.71) and Uttar Pradesh (67.03) showed slower telecommunications adoption, possibly reflecting broader socioeconomic development challenges in these populous states. Most states show an interesting pattern of peaking around 2017-2019 before experiencing a slight decline in the subsequent years, potentially reflecting market saturation, consolidation in the telecommunications industry following disruptive pricing strategies by new market entrants, or changes in how connections are counted. The data also reveals significant developmental gaps between southern and western states compared to central and eastern regions, mirroring broader patterns of economic development across India. The two-decade telecommunications transformation captured in this data represents a profound social and economic change that has fundamentally altered how Indians communicate, conduct business, access services, and participate in the digital economy—serving as both a driver and reflection of India’s broader development story in the 21st century.