In 2025, the mobile applications market showed a clear trend: growth is no longer about volume, but about value

According to the annual report from Appfigures, global app downloads have decreased for the fifth consecutive year, reaching 106.9 billion, a decrease of 2.7% compared to the previous year. In contrast, consumer spending has increased by 21.6%, reaching nearly 156 billion dollars. This discrepancy suggests that developers are becoming more efficient in monetizing existing users through subscriptions and in-app purchases. The subscription-based economy model has become essential, stabilizing developers' revenues and supporting monetization platforms. Although mobile games continue to generate high revenues, non-gaming apps have started to surpass games in terms of revenue, generating 82.6 billion dollars, an increase of 33.9% compared to the previous year. App downloads continue to decline, and growth strategies based on acquisitions are becoming less viable. For product and technology teams, the message is clear: growth must focus on long-term value, subscription-based experiences, and optimizing retention and monetization.