Apple has announced that its App Store ecosystem facilitated more than $1.4 trillion (approximately R25 trillion) in developer billings and sales during 2025, marking a record year for the platform and highlighting the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in app development and consumer adoption.
According to a new study conducted by the independent economists at Analysis Group, more than 90% of the billings and sales generated through the App Store ecosystem did not result in developers paying a commission to Apple.
The findings show that the App Store ecosystem has nearly tripled in size since 2019, reflecting the continued expansion of the global app economy.
AI-Powered Apps See Strongest Growth
One of the key trends identified in the report was the rapid growth of AI-enabled applications. Apple said that more than 40 of the top 100 apps on its storefront in 2025 featured consumer-facing AI capabilities.
These applications experienced billing growth rates four times higher than other leading apps on the platform.
AI functionality is increasingly being integrated across categories including health and fitness, productivity, photo and video editing, and business applications. Apple noted that developers are using both on-device and cloud-based AI tools to create personalised experiences, automate tasks, and improve user engagement.
The company also highlighted its Foundation Models framework, which allows developers to access on-device large language models through Apple Intelligence while maintaining user privacy and offline functionality.
Physical Goods and Services Dominate Spending
The report found that physical goods and services accounted for the largest share of economic activity facilitated through the App Store ecosystem.
Of the $1.4 trillion total:
- Physical goods and services generated approximately $1.1 trillion.
- Digital goods and services accounted for $149 billion.
- In-app advertising revenue contributed $151 billion.
Key sectors driving growth included grocery shopping, food delivery, retail, travel, gaming, enterprise software, and video streaming services.
The App Store recorded an average of more than 850 million weekly users across 175 countries and regions throughout 2025.
Regional Markets Continue Expanding
Apple reported strong growth across major global markets.
Since 2019, App Store-facilitated billings and sales have:
- More than doubled in China.
- More than tripled in both the United States and Europe.
Retail remained the largest spending category globally, while consumer behaviour varied by region. Travel ranked as the second-largest category in markets such as the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
In China, grocery and food delivery services emerged as major spending categories, while food delivery became the second-largest category in South Korea.
