data.ai Shares 2030 Mobile App Market Forecast

Global consumer spending in the mobile app market reached $171 billion in 2023. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to $288 billion according to a new forecast from mobile app experts data.ai.

The mobile app market is expected to continue its growth over the next six years, with global app downloads expected to rise from 257 billion in 2023 to 347 billion in 2030.

Consumer spending

data.ai predicts that global consumer spending is expected to rise by over 100 billion over the next six years. “Even if disposable income shrinks…”, the spending on non-gaming apps is expected to double to $138 per person per year in the U.S. But why?

The core factor is that “publishers will continue to innovate on the subscription and In-App Purchase (IAP) model to unlock new pathways to monetization growth”, data.ai explained. 

Finding the optimal monetisation strategy is certainly a recognised factor in boosting consumer spending. For example, Grindr shared that its total revenue for 2023 increased by 33% year-over-year after the dating platform revised its premium offerings, introducing the ‘Weekly Xtra’ subscription and updated a la carte options.

Apps in the entertainment genre continue to see the highest consumer spend, with TikTok and YouTube as standout performers. Social media is in second place, forecast to bring in over $20 billion globally in revenue by 2030, more than doubling from the current level.

Regional insights

Asia, North America, and Europe currently account for 94% of the world’s consumer spending. Looking ahead to 2030, that share will decrease to 92%, as data.ai predicts that other regions will boost their spending potential. Central America is forecast to have the highest growth among these other regions by 2030, followed by South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

When looking at iOS consumer spending, the top five markets (United States, mainland China, Japan, Taiwan, United Kingdom) are expected to remain in these top spots in 2030, seeing considerable growth along the way.

When it comes to downloads however, Asia is set to reign supreme with 7 out of every 10 mobile app downloads occurring in the region by 2030. App downloads in Asia are set to rise from 177 billion in 2023 to 245 billion in 2030.

This prediction aligns with expected screen time statistics, with Asia’s Android users racking up 3.3 trillion hours of screen time in 2023, with this expected to rise to 4.8 trillion hours in 2030.

Check out data.ai’s full mobile app market forecast for 2030 here.