There are more than 6 billion mobile subscriptions today. But that number “will soon exceed that of the human population,” according to a new World Bank report.

It was only 12 years ago that there were less than 1 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Today, three-quarters of the entire population has access to a mobile phone.

Subscriptions in low and middle-income countries increased by more than 1,500% between 2000 and 2010 — from four to 72 per 100 inhabitants. (Keep in mind that in many countries, it is common to have more than one SIM card.)

While voice is still the primary use for mobile device, texting comes in at a close second. Nearly 5 trillion text messages were sent in just 2010 alone. Those 160-character snips accounted for 80% of operator revenue — that’s a whopping $106 billion.