Half a billion eSIM units shipped globally in 2024

The Trusted Connectivity Alliance has reported significant growth in the eSIM ecosystem, with over half a billion eSIM units shipped in 2024.

According to the latest figures released by the Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA), eSIM shipment volumes reached 503 million in 2024, marking a 35% increase compared to the previous year. The estimated total market for eSIMs was approximately 514 million units. Additionally, consumer eSIM profile downloads rose by 56% during the same period, indicating a surge in consumer adoption of eSIM technology.

TCA provides detailed global insights into eSIM shipments, offering both historical and forecast data that are considered authoritative in assessing the development of the eSIM ecosystem. Despite enduring effects of inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, improvements in the economic landscape during 2024, including recovering demand for smartphones and mobile subscriptions, positively influenced the eSIM market. The release of new eSIM-only devices, mid-range eSIM-enabled models, and 5G smartphones also contributed to this growth.

In terms of geography, North America led in consumer eSIM adoption due to a focus on eSIM-only devices and the pursuit of 'digital-first' strategies by operators. In Asia, profile downloads more than doubled, whereas Europe experienced robust uptake.

The rise in consumer adoption was further supported by investment in eSIM Subscription Manager (SM) platforms, which facilitate remote provisioning and lifecycle management of eSIMs. The number of deployed consumer eSIM SM platforms increased by 18% in 2024.

Beyond consumer applications, the TCA reported significant adoption of eSIM for machine-to-machine (M2M) use. The introduction of the GSMA's eSIM IoT Specification (SGP.32) is expected to further accelerate eSIM deployment across various Internet of Things (IoT) applications, an area that TCA will continue to monitor as the specification's ecosystem develops.

Bertrand Moussel, Chair of the TCA Board, stated, "Our latest data offers the clearest demonstration yet of the extent to which eSIM technology is now being harnessed across the global digital economy, delivering flexible connectivity, advanced security and enhanced experiences. As the eSIM ecosystem continues to expand to encompass an array of emerging use-cases, so too does the importance of industry-wide collaboration to ensure all deployments are underpinned by a strong foundation of trust, consistency and reliability."

The report also highlighted trends within the broader SIM ecosystem. The deployment of 5G SIM and eSIM, which are designed to enhance security, privacy, and functionality in 5G networks, increased by 68% in 2024. North America continues to be a strong market, while Europe stands out as a key region for 5G standalone deployments.

Despite the evolving technology, the market for traditional SIMs remained stable, with a total available market of 3.7 billion units in 2024. Digitalisation and increased eSIM adoption, particularly in key regions like North America, continue to influence the market. Local players in India, China, and across both the Pacific and MEA regions are reportedly strengthening their market presence in lower-cost categories of SIM cards.

Sustainability also featured prominently, with 37% of reported SIM volumes in half SIM formats and a notable proportion of SIM cards in Europe being produced from eco-friendly materials. These eco-developments indicate a move towards reducing plastic waste and emissions within the mobile sector.