Global shipments of embedded SIMs rose sharply in 2025. The Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) estimated an 18% increase to 605 million units, driven by wider adoption in consumer devices and connected products.
The industry body, which estimates its members account for about 85% of the global eSIM hardware market, reported that members shipped 523 million eSIM units during the year. It also recorded stronger activity on the service side, with consumer eSIM profile downloads up 43% year on year. Profile downloads measure how often a mobile operator profile is downloaded onto a device.
The data adds to evidence that eSIM is moving beyond early adoption and becoming a mainstream option in more markets. Availability has been a key driver: more low and mid-range smartphones now ship with eSIM support, alongside the launch of flagship eSIM-only handsets in more countries outside North America.
Regional adoption
North America remained the strongest region for consumer uptake, based on TCA monitoring.
The figures point to rising traction in emerging markets, where operators have expanded eSIM offers across prepaid and contract plans and across a wider range of devices. Roll-out in these regions still lags North America, suggesting further growth as network deployment and commercial support broaden through 2026.
Consumer eSIM activity is often measured by profile downloads, since users can download and switch operator profiles over the air. Higher download volumes can indicate a larger installed base of compatible devices, more carrier marketing, and greater use of digital channels for onboarding and roaming plans.
IoT standards
Another 2025 trend was the market's shift towards the GSMA's eSIM IoT specification, SGP.32. The specification defines remote provisioning and management for IoT deployments, where devices may remain in the field for years and need to change connectivity provider without physical access.
Early evidence of the shift appeared in the growing number of eSIM Subscription Manager platforms that support profile downloads in line with SGP.32. Subscription Manager platforms handle the technical process of delivering and managing operator profiles.
The move to a dedicated IoT standard matters for sectors that deploy large fleets of devices, including asset tracking, smart metering, industrial sensors, and connected consumer electronics. Standardised provisioning frameworks can also influence vendor selection and how operators package global connectivity services for multinational deployments.
Guido Abate, Chair of the TCA Board, linked the 2025 results to broader adoption across markets and use cases.
"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."
SIM resilience
Alongside eSIM growth, monitoring indicates physical SIMs still account for the bulk of unit volumes. TCA estimated the total available market for traditional SIM products at 3.5 billion units in 2025. That category includes removable SIMs and soldered SIMs used in machine-to-machine form factors, but excludes eSIM.
The continued scale of the traditional SIM market reflects long device replacement cycles, the installed base of handsets and modules that rely on removable cards, and the ongoing expansion of mobile connections in some regions. Many operators also continue to ship physical SIMs as the default option in retail channels, even where eSIM is available.
5G SIM growth
Deployments of the Recommended 5G SIM also increased in 2025, based on member reporting. TCA recorded 33% growth year on year, describing the product as supporting security, privacy, and functionality features for 5G and 5G standalone networks.
India led shipment volumes, reflecting rapid expansion of 5G coverage and uptake. North America ranked second by volume.
Sustainability changes
TCA also highlighted changes in SIM manufacturing and distribution formats. It reported that 45% of member SIM volumes shipped in a "half SIM" format, up from 37% in 2024. This typically refers to packaging that uses less plastic than traditional card carriers.
TCA publishes market monitoring updates quarterly for members and subscribers, including shipment, platform, and transaction indicators. It expects network roll-outs and broader device availability to keep pushing eSIM adoption higher across consumer and IoT segments through 2026.