2 days ago
Apple Study Shows App Store Powered US$1.3 Trillion In Sales For 2024
Apple has announced that the global App Store ecosystem has facilitated US$1.3 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2024, an impressive feat supplemented by the fact that for more than 90 percent of said earnings, developers did not pay any commission to the company.
According to a new study by Boston University Questrom School of Business professor Andrey Fradkin and Analysis Group's Dr. Jessica Burley, developer billings and sales for digital goods and services on the App Store totalled US$131 billion in 2024, a figure driven by games, apps and enterprise tools. Sales of physical goods and services rose to US$1 trillion that year, while in-app advertising revenue stood at US$150 billion.
The study also found that billings and sales facilitated by the App Store ecosystem over the past five years more than doubled in the United States, China, and Europe. Additionally, digital payment spending grew sevenfold in the U.S. since 2019, while online grocery spending grew fivefold in China. Other notable increases include spending on apps that support digital content creation, such as photo and video editing apps like Adobe creative tools, which has seen a steady increase over the last five years.
'It's incredible to see so many developers design great apps, build successful businesses, and reach Apple users around the world,' said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement, 'This report is a testament to the many ways developers are enriching people's lives with app and game experiences, while creating opportunity and driving new innovations. We're proud to support their success.' WWDC 2024
To fuel its support for developers, Apple has invested in the tools needed to help them better distribute their apps and games on the App Store, including its commerce system that features support for over 40 local currencies and seamless tax handling in nearly 200 regions, alongside services like Xcode, App Analytics and Product Page Optimisation to help developers test their apps while monitoring and improving performance.
Outside of the App Store, Apple also offers various online and in-person programmes to empower developers to elevate their apps, including Meet with Apple sessions, Apple Developer Academies and over 20 Apple Foundation Programmes, allowing budding developers to not only build their app creation skills but also further improve their created apps.
Furthermore, at Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference from 9 to 13 June, developers worldwide will also have access to over 100 technical sessions with Apple experts, guiding them through its latest technologies and frameworks and supporting their development journey.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. app store Apple Apple App Store
