Global App Spending Rises Despite Decline in Downloads and Usage

Consumer spending on mobile apps grew 13% to $150 billion in 2024, driven by AI-powered tools and in-app purchases, even as overall downloads and usage hours declined.

• Global app downloads decreased slightly to 136 billion in 2024, marking a 1% year-over-year drop, while total usage hours rose 5.8% to 4.2 trillion.
• In-app spending grew 16% in the U.S. and 13% globally, with total consumer spending reaching $150 billion worldwide in 2024.
• AI-powered apps, including chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, saw a 200% rise in consumer spending, surpassing $1.1 billion globally.
• Gaming apps remained the top revenue generators, with casino, puzzle, and strategy games leading the category, followed by streaming, social media, and dating apps.
• Medical tracking and generative AI apps experienced significant growth, with medical tracker downloads increasing by 43% and AI apps accounting for 17 billion global downloads.

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