In October 2025, the Philippines recorded 137 million mobile connections, exceeding its population by 20 million, underscoring the ongoing use of multiple SIM cards despite mandatory registration policies.
According to DataReportal’s Digital 2026 Philippines report, the number of cellular mobile connections in the Philippines reached 137 million in October 2025, which is approximately 117% of the country’s estimated population of 117 million. This represents a 3% increase from the previous year with an additional 4 million connections. The data signifies that many Filipinos maintain multiple SIM cards or mobile subscriptions, a trend driven by factors such as network coverage variations and attractive promotions from different telecom providers.
Despite the country’s mandatory SIM registration policy, this practice remains prevalent. The Philippines’ mobile connection rate slightly exceeds the global average of 107%, though it remains below the Southeast Asian average of 121%.
The report also highlights the growing digital connectivity in the nation, with 98 million internet users (83.8% of the population) and 95.8 million social media user identities (81.9%). Notably, social media user identities surged by 9 million (10.3%) in the past year, although these identities may include multiple accounts per individual or organizational accounts.
The population was estimated to have grown by 0.8% to 117 million by October 2025, with nearly half residing in urban areas. The data were presented at the Meltwater Marketers Meetup in Taguig City and compiled from various telecommunications, government, and research sources.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/991809/ph-mobile-connections-report-2025/story/
