Global App Spending: First Half of 2021

Global consumer spending in mobile apps reached $64.9 billion during the first half of 2021, representing a 24.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020. While this growth indicates a continued upward trajectory for the mobile economy, the rate of expansion has slowed compared to the surge observed during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The data, derived from Store Intelligence estimates, covers global performance across the Apple App Store and Google Play, excluding local taxes, advertising revenue, and mobile commerce transactions.

Revenue distribution shows the Apple App Store generating $41.5 billion, roughly 1.8 times the $23.4 billion earned by Google Play. However, Google Play experienced higher year-over-year growth at 30 percent, compared to 22.1 percent for the App Store. Mobile gaming remained a primary revenue driver, contributing $44.7 billion to the total, while subscription-based non-game apps generated $8.3 billion, a 43 percent increase over the previous year. TikTok maintained its position as the highest-grossing non-game app, while Honor of Kings led the gaming sector.

Global app adoption saw only marginal growth, with 72.5 billion total downloads representing a 1.7 percent year-over-year increase. Notably, Apple’s App Store experienced an 10.9 percent decline in installs, while Google Play saw a 6 percent increase, likely influenced by the prevalence of Android devices in regions still heavily impacted by the pandemic. As global markets begin to reopen, the mobile landscape is shifting toward a normalization phase, characterized by a deceleration in download growth and a transition in consumer priorities across various app categories.