The acceleration of eSIM shipments alongside resilient traditional SIM volumes signals a protracted hybrid connectivity phase for IoT deployments. For device makers, rising SGP.32 support lowers lifecycle and logistics costs by enabling more flexible, remote provisioning models at scale. For operators, expanding eSIM SM platforms creates new levers for wholesale, roaming and multi-profile IoT offerings, especially in emerging markets. This development underscores eSIM’s shift from premium devices to a baseline capability across mass-market IoT and 5G ecosystems.
Trusted Connectivity Alliance Members Confirm Acceleration of Global eSIM Growth in 2025, With Estimated eSIM Shipments Increasing 18% and Consumer Adoption up 43%
The latest market monitoring insights released today by Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) – the industry association estimated to represent approximately 85% of the global eSIM hardware market – confirm that growing network, consumer and IoT adoption drove the continued expansion of the eSIM ecosystem in 2025.
TCA members estimate that the total number of eSIMs shipped globally in 2025 grew by 18%, reaching a new annual high of 605 million. TCA members collectively shipped 523 million eSIM units. This growth was complemented by a significant increase in consumer and IoT eSIM activations, reflected in a 43% uplift in consumer eSIM profile downloads.*
Increasing Ubiquity of eSIM-Enabled Devices Drives Consumer Awareness and Adoption
The ongoing rise in eSIM shipment volumes continues to be supported by the growing availability of eSIM-enabled devices. This includes an increasing number of low and mid-range smartphone models, in addition to the launch of flagship eSIM-only handsets across more global markets outside of North America.
While consumer uptake remained strongest in North America, robust growth continued across all regions globally. Adoption effectively doubled across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America, demonstrating increasing traction across emerging markets. Although this highlights that local carriers are delivering on their eSIM strategies to widen availability, the pace of rollout in emerging regions has lagged North America. Consequently, it is expected that there will be sustained growth in consumer uptake in these regions as network deployment continues throughout 2026.
Market Transition to SGP.32 to Enable IoT Use Cases is Underway
GSMA’s eSIM IoT Specification (SGP.32) stands to significantly accelerate the use of eSIM technology across IoT use-cases by offering a dedicated standard that simplifies the remote provisioning and management of IoT devices. TCA data shows that the market transition to SGP.32 is well underway, evidenced at this early stage of deployment by a strong increase in the number of eSIM Subscription Manager (SM) platforms that support profile downloads in accordance with the specification.
Guido Abate, Chair of the TCA Board, comments:
“The latest TCA data shows that global eSIM growth accelerated in 2025 as the benefits of the technology were realised across more regions, use cases and industries. With increases in deployments and adoption set to continue, ongoing industry efforts to advance enabling standards and infrastructure will be key to promoting safe, reliable and consistent eSIM implementations everywhere.”
TCA also provides statistical insight into the ongoing transformation of the broader SIM ecosystem. Key market developments in 2025 included:
- Traditional SIM Market Remains Highly Resilient:
The traditional SIM market in 2025 remained highly resilient in the face of ongoing digitalisation and soaring demand for eSIM technology. TCA estimates that the total available market for ‘traditional’ SIM** was 3.5 billion units in 2025. TCA members increased their delivered SIM volumes by 6% year-on-year, with growth seen across mature markets in Europe and the Middle East, as well as developing markets throughout Africa and Asia.
- 5G SIM Deployments See Sustained Growth:
TCA members reported a 33% year-on-year growth in deployments of the Recommended 5G SIM, showing that the technology continues to expand in a rapidly growing eSIM market. The 5G SIM promotes the highest levels of security, privacy and functionality in 5G and 5G standalone (SA) networks to maximise operator investments and support key use-cases. 5G SIM shipment volumes were highest in India, which is central to global growth due to significant network and consumer adoption. North America remained the second largest 5G market, while Europe saw a robust increase amid the continued rollout of 5G SA deployments. The MEA region saw the most impressive percentage growth globally, demonstrating that 5G demand is still increasing across emerging markets.
- Sustainability Push Across the Mobile Ecosystem Continues:
The SIM industry continued to make strong progress in its efforts to reduce plastic waste and associated emissions. 45% of all SIM volumes collectively reported by TCA members were in the half SIM format – up from 37% in 2024. In addition, over 40% of SIM volumes in Europe were manufactured using eco-friendly raw materials. The sustainability trend was also seen in emerging markets. For instance, in MEA, more than double the volume of SIMs were manufactured using eco-friendly raw materials in 2025 than in 2024, with half SIM format shipments also up by 40%.
** Includes removable SIM and soldered SIM for M2M form factors. Excludes eSIM.
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