Asia drives 50% of global mobile activity as app installs triple in six years: AppsFlyer

Asia now drives over 50% of global mobile activity, with app installs in the region tripling over the past six years, according to the newly released State of App Marketing in Asia 2025 report by AppsFlyer. The report paints a vivid picture of Asia’s mobile-first growth, revealing a 150% rise in app installs since 2019, fueled by rising smartphone penetration, digital maturity, and performance-driven marketing strategies.

Based on billions of app interactions across 14 Asian markets, the report outlines a strategic divergence in how brands approach growth. While emerging markets like India and Indonesia prioritize speed, scale, and cost-efficiency, mature markets such as Japan and South Korea are doubling down on user quality, privacy compliance, and sustainable profitability.

In terms of marketing investment, the region witnessed $14.77 billion in user acquisition spend in 2024 alone. Categories like Finance, Food & Drink, and Shopping led the way, with brands in these sectors pushing performance-centric campaigns to outpace competition. The Gaming vertical stood out for its sophisticated hybrid monetization model, with ad and in-app purchase revenues growing 3.4X since 2023.

As per the report, lifecycle marketing also gained prominence, with $4.47 billion allocated to remarketing campaigns. This shift is particularly evident in high-growth economies such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, where marketers are adopting full-funnel strategies to drive retention and engagement. However, over 80% of fraudulent app installs in 2024 were attributed to bots, with fake publisher fraud increasingly targeting iOS re-engagement campaigns.

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The report also segments growth strategies by market maturity. In emerging markets, where user acquisition costs are relatively low, brands are focused on rapid expansion and capturing new mobile users. Meanwhile, mature markets are navigating privacy regulations and saturated user bases by focusing on high-value, long-term engagement strategies.

Across verticals, Food & Drink and Shopping apps showed strong recovery after pandemic disruptions, while Gaming remained resilient and innovative in monetization. The region’s evolving app economy is also seeing marketers adopt increasingly tailored approaches across platforms and user segments—shifting from one-size-fits-all to deeply contextual marketing.

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