May 18, 2025, 9:33 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Reciting one’s own phone number right away? For many people in Germany, that’s not so easy, as a recent survey shows. Surprisingly, those who use a landline find it significantly easier to remember phone numbers.
According to a survey by Bitkom Research, one-third of people over the age of 16 in Germany do not know their own mobile phone number by heart. In contrast, landline users perform significantly better at remembering their phone numbers.
Own Phone Number? A Mystery for Many
A quick glance at the phone has become routine for many when it comes to finding out their own mobile number. According to the Bitkom study, 34 percent of people aged 16 and older in Germany do not know their own number by heart.
On the other hand, 64 percent can recite their number at any time—they have it memorized.
Landline Users Have Their Number Memorized
The situation looks even better for traditional landline connections: A full 76 percent of respondents with a landline know their number by heart. Only 22 percent cannot recall it offhand.
This suggests that landline numbers are apparently more often memorized—possibly because they are less frequently stored in address books or displayed on screens.
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Friends’ Numbers Are Better Remembered
Remarkably, phone numbers of friends, relatives, and acquaintances fare well. A full 82 percent of participants reported having at least one such number memorized.
On average, the 1,004 respondents remember about three phone numbers from their close circle. Of these, 47 percent said they know between one and three numbers by heart. Another 26 percent can remember even four to six numbers.