People spent nearly $156 billion on apps in 2025, even as downloads fell
According to Appfigures, app downloads fell for a fifth straight year while spending jumped 21.6%, driven by subscriptions.
Appfigures' annual report shows people downloaded fewer apps in 2025 but spent more on them.
Key numbers (App Store + Google Play)
| 2025 | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Downloads | 106.9 billion | −2.7% |
| Spending | $155.8 billion | +21.6% |
It is the fifth straight year of falling downloads, which peaked at 135 billion in 2020.
Games vs apps
- Mobile games: $72.2 billion in spending (+10%), but downloads fell 8.6%
- Other apps: $82.6 billion in spending (+33.9%)
- The US alone: $55.5 billion
Why
Appfigures says the subscription economy lifted app revenue in 2025, with AI apps such as ChatGPT a big part of the growth.
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