Infographic – Mobile Industry’s Economic Role

Click on image for full-size view (Statista)

14 Sept. 2019. As mobile phones, smart watches, and tablets play an increasingly key role in our daily lives, a new report shows mobile technology makes a sizeable contribution to the world’s economy. The organization GSMA representing the global mobile industry issued its annual report on the mobile economy, with data our friends at Statista highlighted this week, offered as our weekend infographic.

In the report, GSMA estimates the mobile industry added $3.9 trillion to the world’s gross domestic product in 2018, making up 4.6 percent of the total. The mobile industry in the Asia-Pacific region contributes the most to this total, with $1.6 trillion, making up 5.3 percent of the region’s GDP. North America follows with an $840 billion contribution, 4.1 percent of that area’s GDP, and Europe contribution $620 billion, 3.5 percent of its total GDP.

Sub-Saharan Africa contributed the smallest amount to its GDP in 2018 at $144 billion, but that amount makes up 8.6 percent of the region’s GDP, the largest proportion in any geographic area. West Africa alone provides $52 billion to the region, with about the same overall percent age of GDP, 8.7 percent.

As we’ve noted in Science & Enterprise, mobile technology is being used increasingly in research and diagnostics. We reported just this week that Apple unveiled its upcoming research app for use with iPhones and Apple Watches in studies of women’s health, hearing, and heart health.

More from Science & Enterprise:

• Infographic – Phones Top Internet Access Method
• Infographic – 10% of Americans Still Offline
• Infographic – Mobile Phones in Emerging Economies

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