Rank
|
Country
|
Telephones - main lines in use
|
Date of Information
|
1
|
United States
|
194,000,000
|
1997
|
2
|
China
|
135,000,000
|
2000
|
3
|
Japan
|
60,381,000
|
1997
|
4
|
Germany
|
50,900,000
|
March 2001
|
5
|
United Kingdom
|
34,878,000
|
1997
|
6
|
France
|
34,860,000
|
yearend 1998
|
7
|
Russia
|
30,000,000
|
1998
|
8
|
India
|
27,700,000
|
October 2000
|
9
|
Italy
|
25,000,000
|
1999
|
10
|
Korea, South
|
24,000,000
|
2000
|
11
|
Canada
|
20,802,900
|
1999
|
12
|
Turkey
|
19,500,000
|
1999
|
13
|
Spain
|
17,336,000
|
1999
|
14
|
Brazil
|
17,039,000
|
1997
|
15
|
Taiwan
|
12,490,000
|
September 2000
|
16
|
Mexico
|
12,332,000
|
2000
|
17
|
Australia
|
10,050,000
|
2000
|
18
|
Ukraine
|
9,450,000
|
April 1999
|
19
|
Netherlands
|
9,132,400
|
1999
|
20
|
Poland
|
8,070,000
|
1998
|
21
|
Argentina
|
7,500,000
|
1998
|
22
|
Philippines
|
6,980,000
|
2001
|
23
|
Iran
|
6,313,000
|
1997
|
24
|
Sweden
|
6,017,000
|
December 1998
|
25
|
Thailand
|
5,600,000
|
2000
|
26
|
Indonesia
|
5,588,310
|
1998
|
27
|
Colombia
|
5,433,565
|
December 1997
|
28
|
Greece
|
5,431,000
|
1997
|
29
|
Portugal
|
5,300,000
|
yearend 1998
|
30
|
South Africa
|
5,000,000
|
2001
|
31
|
Switzerland
|
4,820,000
|
1998
|
32
|
Denmark
|
4,785,000
|
1997
|
33
|
Belgium
|
4,769,000
|
1997
|
34
|
Malaysia
|
4,600,000
|
2000
|
35
|
Austria
|
4,000,000
|
2001
|
36
|
Egypt
|
3,971,500
|
December 1998
|
37
|
Saudi Arabia
|
3,900,000
|
2002 est.
|
38
|
Czech Republic
|
3,869,000
|
2000
|
39
|
Hong Kong
|
3,839,000
|
1999
|
40
|
Romania
|
3,777,000
|
1997
|
41
|
Bulgaria
|
3,186,731
|
2001
|
42
|
Hungary
|
3,095,000
|
1997
|
43
|
Pakistan
|
2,861,000
|
NA
|
44
|
Finland
|
2,847,900
|
2001
|
45
|
Israel
|
2,800,000
|
1999
|
46
|
Norway
|
2,735,000
|
1998
|
47
|
Chile
|
2,603,000
|
1998
|
48
|
Venezuela
|
2,600,000
|
1998
|
49
|
Vietnam
|
2,600,000
|
2000
|
50
|
Belarus
|
2,313,000
|
1997
|
51
|
Algeria
|
2,300,000
|
1998
|
52
|
Serbia and Montenegro
|
2,017,000
|
1995
|
53
|
Uzbekistan
|
1,980,000
|
1999
|
54
|
Singapore
|
1,950,000
|
2000
|
55
|
Slovakia
|
1,934,558
|
1998
|
56
|
Kazakhstan
|
1,920,000
|
2001
|
57
|
New Zealand
|
1,920,000
|
2000
|
58
|
Peru
|
1,800,000
|
2000
|
59
|
Croatia
|
1,721,139
|
2000
|
60
|
Ireland
|
1,600,000
|
2002
|
61
|
Morocco
|
1,391,000
|
1998
|
62
|
Puerto Rico
|
1,322,000
|
1997
|
63
|
Syria
|
1,313,000
|
1997
|
64
|
Lithuania
|
1,142,000
|
2001
|
65
|
Ecuador
|
1,115,272
|
1999
|
66
|
Korea, North
|
1,100,000
|
1997
|
67
|
Uruguay
|
929,141
|
2001
|
68
|
United Arab Emirates
|
915,223
|
1998
|
69
|
Azerbaijan
|
865,000
|
2002
|
70
|
Latvia
|
734,693
|
2000
|
71
|
Slovenia
|
722,000
|
1997
|
72
|
Dominican Republic
|
709,000
|
1997
|
73
|
Lebanon
|
700,000
|
1999
|
74
|
Iraq
|
675,000
|
NA
|
75
|
Guatemala
|
665,061
|
June 2000
|
76
|
Tunisia
|
654,000
|
1997
|
77
|
Moldova
|
627,000
|
1997
|
78
|
Georgia
|
620,000
|
1997
|
79
|
Armenia
|
600,000
|
2002
|
80
|
Rwanda
|
600,000
|
2002
|
81
|
Estonia
|
501,691
|
2000
|
82
|
Bangladesh
|
500,000
|
2000
|
83
|
Libya
|
500,000
|
1998
|
84
|
Nigeria
|
500,000
|
2000 est.
|
85
|
Sri Lanka
|
494,509
|
1998
|
86
|
Cuba
|
473,031
|
2000
|
87
|
Costa Rica
|
450,000
|
NA
|
88
|
Kuwait
|
412,000
|
1997
|
89
|
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
|
408,000
|
1997
|
90
|
Cyprus
|
405,000
|
NA
|
91
|
Jordan
|
403,000
|
1997
|
92
|
Sudan
|
400,000
|
2000
|
93
|
Panama
|
396,000
|
1997
|
94
|
El Salvador
|
380,000
|
1998
|
95
|
Tajikistan
|
363,000
|
1997
|
96
|
Turkmenistan
|
363,000
|
1997
|
97
|
Jamaica
|
353,000
|
1996
|
98
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
351,000
|
1997
|
99
|
Bolivia
|
327,600
|
1996
|
100
|
Luxembourg
|
314,700
|
1999
|
101
|
Kenya
|
310,000
|
2001
|
102
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
303,000
|
1997
|
103
|
Yemen
|
291,359
|
1999
|
104
|
Paraguay
|
290,475
|
2001
|
105
|
Mauritius
|
280,900
|
2000
|
106
|
Reunion
|
268,500
|
1999
|
107
|
Cote d'Ivoire
|
263,700
|
2000
|
108
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
252,000
|
1999
|
109
|
Burma
|
250,000
|
2000
|
110
|
Ghana
|
240,000
|
2001
|
111
|
Nepal
|
236,816
|
January 2000
|
112
|
Senegal
|
234,916
|
2001
|
113
|
Honduras
|
234,000
|
1997
|
114
|
Ethiopia
|
231,900
|
2000
|
115
|
Zimbabwe
|
212,000
|
1997
|
116
|
Oman
|
201,000
|
1997
|
117
|
Iceland
|
196,984
|
2001
|
118
|
Malta
|
187,000
|
1997
|
119
|
Macau
|
176,902
|
November 2001
|
120
|
Guadeloupe
|
171,000
|
1996
|
121
|
Martinique
|
170,000
|
1997
|
122
|
Bahrain
|
152,000
|
1997
|
123
|
Qatar
|
142,000
|
1997
|
124
|
Nicaragua
|
140,000
|
1996
|
125
|
Botswana
|
131,000
|
September 2001
|
126
|
Zambia
|
130,000
|
2002
|
127
|
Tanzania
|
127,000
|
1998
|
128
|
Albania
|
120,000
|
2001
|
129
|
Namibia
|
110,200
|
2000
|
130
|
Barbados
|
108,000
|
1997
|
131
|
Mongolia
|
104,100
|
1999
|
132
|
Bahamas, The
|
96,000
|
1997
|
133
|
Gaza Strip
|
95,729
|
1997
|
134
|
West Bank
|
95,729
|
1997
|
135
|
Cameroon
|
95,000
|
2001
|
136
|
Mozambique
|
90,000
|
2001
|
137
|
Guam
|
84,134
|
1998
|
138
|
Cyprus
|
83,162
|
NA
|
139
|
Fiji
|
80,901
|
1999
|
140
|
Brunei
|
79,000
|
1996
|
141
|
Netherlands Antilles
|
76,000
|
1995
|
142
|
Angola
|
72,000
|
1998
|
143
|
Guyana
|
70,000
|
2000
|
144
|
Jersey
|
65,500
|
1997
|
145
|
Virgin Islands
|
65,000
|
1997
|
146
|
Suriname
|
64,000
|
1997
|
147
|
Papua New Guinea
|
61,152
|
1999
|
148
|
Cape Verde
|
60,935
|
2002
|
149
|
Haiti
|
60,000
|
1997
|
150
|
Madagascar
|
55,000
|
2000
|
151
|
Burkina Faso
|
53,200
|
2000
|
152
|
Bermuda
|
52,000
|
1997
|
153
|
French Polynesia
|
52,000
|
1997
|
154
|
Benin
|
51,000
|
2000
|
155
|
Man, Isle of
|
51,000
|
1999
|
156
|
French Guiana
|
47,000
|
1997
|
157
|
New Caledonia
|
47,000
|
1997
|
158
|
Malawi
|
45,000
|
2000
|
159
|
Mali
|
45,000
|
2000
|
160
|
Guernsey
|
44,000
|
1996
|
161
|
Gabon
|
39,000
|
1998
|
162
|
Swaziland
|
38,500
|
2001
|
163
|
Guinea
|
37,000
|
1998
|
164
|
Saint Lucia
|
37,000
|
1997
|
165
|
Aruba
|
33,000
|
1997
|
166
|
Andorra
|
32,946
|
December 1998
|
167
|
Gambia, The
|
31,900
|
2000
|
168
|
Monaco
|
31,027
|
1995
|
169
|
Belize
|
31,000
|
1997
|
170
|
Eritrea
|
30,000
|
2001
|
171
|
Afghanistan
|
29,000
|
NA
|
172
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
28,000
|
1996
|
173
|
Grenada
|
27,000
|
1997
|
174
|
Mauritania
|
26,500
|
2001
|
175
|
Greenland
|
25,617
|
yearend 1999
|
176
|
Laos
|
25,000
|
1997
|
177
|
Sierra Leone
|
25,000
|
2001
|
178
|
Togo
|
25,000
|
1997
|
179
|
Faroe Islands
|
24,851
|
1999
|
180
|
Lesotho
|
22,200
|
2000
|
181
|
Congo, Republic of the
|
22,000
|
1998
|
182
|
Cambodia
|
21,800
|
mid-1998
|
183
|
Northern Mariana Islands
|
21,000
|
1996
|
184
|
Maldives
|
21,000
|
1999
|
185
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
20,500
|
1998
|
186
|
Liechtenstein
|
20,072
|
2000
|
187
|
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
|
20,000
|
2000
|
188
|
Niger
|
20,000
|
2001
|
189
|
Seychelles
|
19,635
|
1997
|
190
|
Cayman Islands
|
19,000
|
1995
|
191
|
Dominica
|
19,000
|
1996
|
192
|
Gibraltar
|
19,000
|
1997
|
193
|
Burundi
|
18,000
|
2002
|
194
|
San Marino
|
18,000
|
1998
|
195
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
17,000
|
1997
|
196
|
Somalia
|
15,000
|
2000
|
197
|
American Samoa
|
13,000
|
1997
|
198
|
Mayotte
|
12,000
|
1998
|
199
|
Micronesia, Federated States of
|
11,000
|
2001
|
200
|
Djibouti
|
10,000
|
2002
|
201
|
British Virgin Islands
|
10,000
|
1996
|
202
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
10,000
|
2001
|
203
|
Chad
|
9,700
|
1999
|
204
|
Central African Republic
|
9,500
|
2000
|
205
|
Samoa
|
8,183
|
1998
|
206
|
Solomon Islands
|
8,000
|
1997
|
207
|
Tonga
|
8,000
|
1996
|
208
|
Comoros
|
7,000
|
2000
|
209
|
Liberia
|
6,700
|
2000
|
210
|
Palau
|
6,700
|
2002
|
211
|
Bhutan
|
6,000
|
1997
|
212
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
6,000
|
1998
|
213
|
Vanuatu
|
5,500
|
1998
|
214
|
Cook Islands
|
5,000
|
1997
|
215
|
Anguilla
|
4,974
|
2000
|
216
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
4,600
|
2000
|
217
|
Marshall Islands
|
4,186
|
2001
|
218
|
Montserrat
|
4,000
|
1997
|
219
|
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
|
4,000
|
1997
|
220
|
Kiribati
|
3,800
|
1999
|
221
|
Turks and Caicos Islands
|
3,000
|
1994
|
222
|
Nauru
|
2,000
|
1996
|
223
|
Saint Helena
|
2,000
|
1997
|
224
|
Wallis and Futuna
|
1,125
|
1994
|
225
|
Norfolk Island
|
1,087
|
1983
|
226
|
Tuvalu
|
1,000
|
1997
|
227
|
Niue
|
376
|
1991
|
228
|
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
|
287
|
1992
|
229
|
Pitcairn Islands
|
1
|
1997
|
230
|
Antarctica
|
0
|
2001
|
This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003
|