50+ Mobile App Statistics and Insights You Should Know (2024)

Global Mobile App Usage Trends 

With more than 6 billion smartphone users worldwide, app usage has increased significantly. This has led to more brands opting for iOS and Android app development services.  

• In 2023, the total number of mobile app downloads worldwide reached 257 billion, highlighting the enormous scale of the mobile app market. (1) 
• iOS users downloaded 25.2 billion apps in 2023, a 3.7% increase on the previous year. (2) 
• Google Play app downloads also increased in 2023, reaching 67.4 billion downloads. (2) 

 

Here are the latest statistics on Android Vs iOS app Usage 

Android 

• Market Share: 69.88% globally as of the most recent quarter of 2024 . (3)
• Number of Apps: Approximately 2.67 million apps are available on the Google Play Store as of March 2023. (4) 
• User Base: Around 3.2 billion users worldwide. (3)
• Average Daily Usage: Users spend an average of 4 hours per day on their devices. (4)

iOS: 

• Market Share: 29.39% globally as of the most recent quarter of 2024. (3) 
• Number of Apps: Roughly 2.2 million apps are available on the Apple App Store. (4)
• User Base: Approximately 1 billion users worldwide. (4)
• Average Daily Usage: Users spend an average of 3 hours per day on their devices. (4) 

Growth Rate of Mobile App Downloads Over the Past Few Years 

The growth rate indicates the constantly increasing demand for mobile app development in the market. With these statistics, businesses can easily find a niche or industry that will gain more exposure in years to come.  

From 2016 to 2020, mobile app downloads increased significantly by 55%. Although the year-over-year growth rate has slowed, it remains on an upward trend. (5)

Projected Growth in Mobile App Downloads for 2024 and Beyond 

Downloads are expected to continue growing, with projections indicating sustained increases in both app availability and user adoption rates. (5)

Mobile App User Engagement and Behavior 

According to recent data, the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone every day. That’s the equivalent of over 1 day per week or 6 days per month. Across a year, that’s approximately 70 days spent looking at a phone. (6) 

Most Popular App Categories by User Engagement 

User engagement means how people use different types of apps, which allows brands to understand which app categories are most profitable. 

Gaming Apps 

Gaming apps are one of the most lucrative industries in the market. With millions of active users worldwide, businesses can hire Unity developers to build their own games and start generating revenue. 

• As of 2024, the Google Play Store has 293,973 gaming apps, and the Apple App Store has 229,150. Gaming apps make up 13.8% of all available apps on Google Play and 12.68% on the App Store. (7) 

• In the United States, gaming apps are among the most popular app categories, with approximately 160 million monthly active users. (8) 

• The global mobile gaming content market was worth $136.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $163.8 billion by 2028. (9) 

• In 2023, mobile games generated a whopping $81 billion in revenue across both platforms: 
• iOS contributed $47.7 billion. 
• Google Play accounted for $33.3 billion. (10) 

 

Social Media Apps 

On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. (11) 

Entertainment Apps 

Entertainment apps are highly popular, with significant engagement from users watching videos, streaming music, and interacting with content. Brands are taking advantage of these trends and developing video streaming apps. This includes creating TV apps for tvOS apps and Android platforms.  

Netflix has approximately 232.5 million users, Spotify has around 601 million users, TikTok boasts 1.05 billion users, Amazon Prime Video has about 250 million users, and Twitch has 140 million users. 

Productivity Apps 

Productivity apps are essential for many users, especially with the increase in remote work and digital collaboration.  

Google Workspace has over 3 billion users, making it one of the most widely used productivity suites globally. In comparison, Microsoft Office Suite boasts around 345 million users worldwide. Trello, known for its project management capabilities, has more than 50 million users , while Notion, a flexible workspace tool, serves over 20 million users. Evernote, the popular note-taking app, has around 225 million users globally. (12) 

Health and Fitness Apps 

More and more people are starting to change their way of life and focus on fitness and health. This segment brings more revenue and engagement in terms of app usage. Building an fitness app integrated with wearable application development is the new trend for businesses looking to expand in this field. 

MyFitnessPal boasts a large user base, with 200 million users globally. It is renowned for its comprehensive database of over 11 million food items and detailed tracking of dietary intake and exercise activities. Fitbit, a pioneer in wearable fitness technology, has around 31 million active users. (13) 

Taxi Booking Apps 

Chances are, you must have used a ride hailing app once a week because that’s how in demand they are. More and more local companies are jumping in and making profit using taxi booking app development services. As this category is still growing, the future of taxi booking apps is bright. 

• The Grand View Research report shows that the global taxi booking app market is projected to reach USD 432.16 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% from 2022 to 2027.    

• According to Statista’s survey, Asia Pacific is the largest market for cab booking apps, accounting for over 50% of the global market in 2021. Uber is the world’s leading cab booking app company, with a market share of over 30%.   

• Smartphone users are the primary users of taxi booking apps. In 2021, over 90% of taxi booking transactions were made through smartphones.    

 

Food Delivery Apps 

From last-minute orders to surprise parties, food delivery apps are the best solution. Even small restaurants are now investing in a food delivery app development company to create their own stand-alone app. The market for food aggregator apps like Ubereats and Doordash will always get more exposure and revenue with a hyperlocal market model. 

• The revenue of the Online Food Delivery market is predicted to hit $1tn by 2023, with an anticipated annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 12.78%. This growth is expected to lead to a market volume of $2tn by 2027.  

• The grocery delivery segment is expected to be the largest segment, with a market size of $1 trillion in 2023.   

• The meal delivery segment is expected to grow the fastest, with a CAGR of 14.2% from 2023 to 2027.   

• In 2022, China was the biggest food delivery market, with a whopping $42.5 billion market size.  

• Meituan is the largest food delivery app in the world by revenue and usage, with a market share of over 60% in China. 

• The United States is the second largest market for food delivery, with a market size of $26.5 billion in 2022. 

• DoorDash is the largest food delivery app in the United States, with a market share of over 50%. (15) 

Most Popular Mobile App Development Approaches: Native, Cross-Platform, and Hybrid

While we talk about app usage, we also need to remember the app development approaches. After all, you need to decide which approach to choose based on your target audience’s preference. This information is useful as it can help you decide when to approach a mobile app development company. 

Native App Development 

Native apps mean the apps are built using native technology like Swift and Kotlin. These apps provide better performance and graphics. So, if you are choosing a single segment of users, you can go for either Android or iOS app development company.  

• Native apps often achieve performance metrics that are 10-20% faster than their cross-platform or hybrid counterparts, essential for graphics-intensive applications. (16) 

• The native app development market was valued at $133 billion in 2022, largely driven by high-performance demands from mobile gaming applications. (17) 

• Around 30% of mobile developers prefer native development due to its reliability and direct access to platform-specific features. (16) 

 

Cross-Platform App Development 

One of the main reasons behind the popularity of cross-platform is faster development and cost effectiveness. Brands can build two apps at the same time to target a broader audience. Businesses that need to target multiple operating systems should opt. to hire cross-platform app developers.

• React Native holds a 42% market share in the cross-platform app development space, while Flutter follows closely with a 39% share. (18) 

• Over 500,000 React Native apps were available on the Google Play Store and App Store by 2022, with projections suggesting this number will exceed 1 million by 2023. (19) 

• The global market for cross-platform app development is expected to reach $10.8 billion by 2027, reflecting the approach’s growing popularity and cost-efficiency benefits. (20) 

 

Hybrid App Development 

Hybrid apps combine web and native development. They are faster and lighter than others. One of the most popular frameworks is Ionic development, which is used for hybrid apps. 

• Hybrid apps constitute approximately 12% of all mobile apps, leveraging a combination of native and web technologies. (21) 

• Developing hybrid apps is typically 30-40% less expensive than native app development, owing to the ability to maintain a single codebase for multiple platforms. (21) 

• The hybrid app development market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.5% from 2022 to 2027, driven by the demand for faster time-to-market and reduced development costs. (21) 

Total Revenue Generated by Mobile Apps Globally 

At the end of the day, business cares about revenue more than anything. Here are some of the latest statistics on how much revenue mobile app development can generate worldwide. 

• In 2023, the global revenue from mobile apps reached approximately $489 billion, showcasing a steady increase from previous years.(22)  

• The revenue generated by mobile apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store combined is projected to surpass $540 billion by the end of 2024. (22)  

• The global mobile app market is expected to grow significantly, with projected revenues reaching around $613 billion by 2025.(22) 

• Subscription-based mobile apps continue to contribute a substantial portion, generating nearly $80 billion in revenue in 2023 alone. (25) 

• Gaming apps remain a dominant category, accounting for over $150 billion in revenue in 2023, and are expected to see continued growth in the coming year. (25) 

• Mobile apps are expected to generate over $935 billion in revenue in 2023, illustrating the lucrative nature of the app market. (25)  

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) in Different App Categories 

Similar to revenue by the app, ARPU offers a different approach. It offers information on how much money users spend.  

• Social Media: Social media apps typically have an ARPU ranging between $6 and $12 annually. This variation largely depends on the platform’s monetization strategy, such as advertising and in-app purchases. (23)  

• Gaming: Mobile gaming apps have a higher ARPU compared to other categories, averaging around $45 to $60 annually. The revenue primarily comes from in-app purchases and premium game versions. (23)  

• Streaming Services: The ARPU for streaming services, including video and music streaming apps, varies. Video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have an ARPU between $120 and $150 annually, while music streaming services like Spotify average around $55 to $65 annually. (23)  

• E-commerce: E-commerce apps exhibit a wide range of ARPU, from $50 to $100 per user annually. This range is influenced by factors such as the frequency of purchases and the average order value. (24)  

• Health and Fitness: Health and fitness apps generally have an ARPU of around $30 to $50 annually. This revenue is often generated through subscriptions to premium features, personalized coaching, and ad-free experiences. (24)