India leads global mobile app market in downloads and usage

The State of Mobile 2025 Report by Sensor Tower highlights the rapid acceleration of mobile monetisation. In 2024, global in-app purchase (IAP) revenue across iOS and Google Play hit $150 billion for the first time, marking a 13% year-on-year (YoY) increase — the highest growth since 2021. This figure includes spending on in-app purchases, subscriptions, and paid apps and games.

Mobile users worldwide spent an astounding 4.2 trillion hours on apps across iOS and Google Play in 2024, equating to roughly 3.5 hours per user daily. However, there are signs of slowing growth in mobile usage, as some countries experience digital fatigue. Globally, time spent grew by 5.8% YoY, compared to 7.7% in 2023. Notably, markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and China saw usage plateau.

India emerged as a global leader with over 25 billion app downloads in 2023 and 2024, showcasing the country’s dominance in mobile app consumption. Meanwhile, Europe outpaced the US in revenue growth, with IAP revenue soaring by 24% YoY, double the global average. Leading markets like the UK, Germany, France, and Italy contributed significantly to this rise.

Mobile Usage and Revenue Insights

Social apps continued to dominate consumer attention, with 3 trillion hours spent globally on social media and messaging apps in 2024 — up 6% from the 2.8 trillion hours recorded in 2023. India played a major role, with time spent on social apps rising by 16% YoY. Globally, time spent on social apps surpassed 600 billion hours per quarter, with India seeing a remarkable doubling of usage since 2021.

In the gaming sector, mobile game revenue reached $80.9 billion in 2024, driven by emerging markets like India, Mexico, and Thailand, which saw spending grow by 17%, 21%, and 16%, respectively. However, North Asia faced challenges, with Japan reporting a 7% decline due to economic and currency issues.

Streaming Apps Face Digital Fatigue

Streaming apps continued to see growth in in-app revenue and downloads but suffered from declining engagement in key markets like the US and China. Time spent on streaming apps held steady globally, excluding India, where pockets of growth remain. Consumers are becoming more comfortable paying for streaming services on mobile devices, despite competition from social apps and other platforms.

As mobile trends evolve, India’s growing influence in app downloads, usage, and revenue highlights its role as a key player in the global mobile ecosystem.