European Mobile App Consumer Spending Grew 19% in 2019 to More Than $11 Billion

The European mobile application market experienced significant growth in 2019, with consumer spending reaching $11.2 billion. This figure represents an 18.9 percent year-over-year increase, accounting for 13.5 percent of the $83 billion generated globally. The data, derived from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence, encompasses in-app purchases, subscriptions, and premium app sales across the Apple App Store and Google Play, excluding taxes, advertising, and mobile commerce transactions.

Revenue distribution between the two major platforms remained relatively balanced, though the App Store led with $6 billion in gross revenue, reflecting a 19.6 percent increase. Google Play generated $5.2 billion, an 18 percent rise. Conversely, Google Play dominated the volume of activity, accounting for 73.1 percent of the 24.1 billion total unique installs recorded in the region. Great Britain emerged as the top-grossing country with $2.1 billion in spending, while Russia led in total downloads with 5.3 billion installs.

Gaming remains a primary economic driver, contributing $7.4 billion, or 66.3 percent, of total European app revenue. Unlike global trends where the App Store typically leads in gaming revenue, Google Play captured 57 percent of the European gaming market, bolstered by strong performance in Germany. Coin Master stood out as the highest-grossing mobile game, earning $211 million. In the non-gaming sector, Tinder secured the top spot for revenue, while Facebook-owned applications dominated the download charts. Overall, the European market demonstrates consistent double-digit revenue growth, characterized by a unique reliance on Google Play for both total revenue and gaming-specific income compared to other major global regions.