App Annie’s annual State of Mobile report is out and once again, there are some astounding new numbers shattering all previous records. The highlight — users downloaded apps over 204 billion times in 2019, with a cumulative app spend rising to a record $120 Billion.
In terms of individual country markets, India saw the fastest growth in app downloads at 190% between 2016 and 2019. In terms of consumer spend, China led the growth with a coincidentally same, 190% growth during that period. Worldwide figures were 45% and 110% respectively. What makes these numbers interesting is a rather growing consumer appetite to go for paid apps, rather than free ones.
While emerging markets like India, Brazil and Indonesia showed the highest download growth, matured markets like the US, Japan did not see a decline either. Of course, download growth has leveled off, but users are still seeking out new apps. Downloads in 2019 alone topped 12.3B, 2.5B and 2B in the US, Japan and South Korea, respectively.
Games now make up 72% of all app store spend. Subscriptions in non-gaming apps fueled growth in spend, from 18% share in 2016 to 28% in 2019. China remains the largest market, making up 40% of global spend. Spend in both mobile gaming and non-gaming mobile subscriptions has fueled growth in mature markets like the US, Japan, South Korea and the UK. According to App Annie, the mobile industry is set to contribute an astounding $4.8 Trillion to the global GDP by 2023.
Clearly highlighting an ever increasing appetite for subscriptions among users, in-App subscriptions contributed to 96% of Spend in Top Non-Gaming Apps. On iOS in the US, 97% of non-gaming consumer spend in the top 250 apps was driven by apps with subscriptions in 2019. On Google Play, this was slightly lower at 91%. Dating and video streaming apps have seen strong success with in-app subscriptions: Tinder, Netflix and Tencent Video topped the 2019 consumer spend chart for non-gaming apps.
Publishers seem to be taking advantage of the expanded monetization opportunities from in app subscriptions. On Google Play, 79% of the top 250 apps by spend in the US monetized through in-app subscriptions in 2019. On iOS, this was higher at 94%.
What makes these numbers even more interesting, is the fact that App Annie does not take into account re-installs and app updates.
In other numbers, App Annie says that people continue to spend an even increasing time of their day on Mobile. Across the markets analyzed, consumers are spending 35% more time in mobile in 2019 than 2 years prior.
Mobile-first emerging markets like Indonesia, Brazil and India continue to spend the most time in mobile each day. France, India and Canada saw strong growth with the average user spending 25% more time in mobile each day in 2019 than in 2017.
