App downloads slide for 5th year, while spending hits record-high
What's the story
According to Appfigures's annual report, the number of mobile app downloads has declined for the fifth consecutive year. In 2025, global downloads of all mobile apps and games across the App Store and Google Play stood at an estimated 106.9 billion, 2.7% lower than last year's figures. However, consumer spending on these apps saw a whopping 21.6% rise to reach an estimated $155.8 billion during this period.
Revenue growth
Developers successfully driving in-app purchases
The report shows that despite the decline in new users downloading apps, app developers, marketers, and publishers have been able to drive their users toward making in-app purchases or subscribing. This trend is reflected in the increase in consumer spending on mobile apps and games. In 2025 alone, consumers spent a total of $72.2 billion on mobile games, 46% of all spending within these platforms, up 10% year-over-year (YoY).
Spending increase
Non-game app spending surges in 2025
The report also highlights a significant rise in spending on non-game mobile apps. In 2025, consumers spent a whopping $82.6 billion on these platforms, a staggering 33.9% increase YoY. This trend indicates that users are increasingly willing to pay for services and features provided by non-gaming applications, further contributing to the overall growth of consumer spending within the app economy.
Monetization strategy
Subscription models provide sustainable revenue for app developers
The shift toward in-app purchases and subscription models has provided a more sustainable revenue stream for app developers. This trend has also given rise to an ecosystem of businesses supporting the mobile app industry. Notable examples include RevenueCat, a subscription management platform that raised $50 million in Series C funding this year, and Appcharge, a start-up focused on improving monetization for mobile games, which raised $58 million in Series B funding.
Download trends
Downloads continue to decline despite revenue growth
Despite the increase in revenue, downloads have continued to decline. After peaking at 135 billion during the pandemic in 2020, downloads have been on a downward trend. The 2025 figure of 106.9 billion installs was down from last year's 109.8 billion and follows slowed download growth between 2023 and 2024 when installs were down by 3.3%.
Game downloads
Mobile game downloads see significant decline
Mobile game downloads have seen a major decline this year. In 2025, mobile games were downloaded 39.4 billion times, down 8.6% YoY, from last year's figures and a further decline from the previous year's 6.6%. Non-game app downloads remained relatively stable with a slight increase of 1.1% YoY to reach an estimated total of 67.4 billion in 2025, according to Appfigures's report.