Mobile App Spending Hits $156B as Downloads Keep Falling

The mobile app industry reached a significant financial milestone in 2025, as global consumer spending climbed to an estimated $155.8 billion. This 21.6% increase highlights a maturing market where developers are successfully monetizing existing user bases through subscriptions and in-app purchases, even as the volume of new installations continues to shrink.

According to the latest annual report from Appfigures, total global app downloads across the App Store and Google Play fell to 106.9 billion. This marks the fifth consecutive year of decline, representing a 2.7% drop compared to the previous year.

The Shift in Monetization

The data underscores a clear transition in how the app ecosystem generates value. Mobile games, once the undisputed engine of revenue, are seeing their influence shift as non-game applications capture a larger share of the market.

• Non-game apps: Generated $82.6 billion, a 33.9% year-over-year increase.
• Mobile games: Generated $72.2 billion, representing 46% of total spending, up 10% from the previous year.

Download Trends and Market Infrastructure

The decline in downloads is particularly noticeable in the gaming sector, which saw a 8.6% drop to 39.4 billion installs. Non-game app downloads remained stagnant, with a marginal increase of 1.1% to reach 67.4 billion.

This environment has fostered a robust secondary market of businesses dedicated to monetization and growth. Companies such as RevenueCat, which secured a $50 million Series C, and Appcharge, which raised a $58 million Series B, are providing the infrastructure necessary for developers to thrive. Additionally, Liftoff Mobile recently filed for an IPO, signaling continued institutional confidence in the sector.

Focus on the U.S. Market

The United States mirrors these global trends. American consumers spent an estimated $55.5 billion on apps in 2025, an 18.1% increase from 2024. Downloads in the U.S. fell by 4.2%, totaling 10 billion.

Revenue distribution in the U.S. shows $33.6 billion coming from non-game apps (a 26.8% rise) and $21.9 billion from games (a 6.8% rise). In terms of installation volume, U.S. users downloaded 7.1 billion non-game apps and 2.9 billion games.