SINGAPORE, 14 October 2025 — The global mobile app economy is maintaining steady expansion in 2025 despite privacy changes and rising costs, according to The Mobile App Growth Report: 2025 Edition released by measurement and analytics company Adjust.
The report revealed that app installs rose 11% and sessions climbed 10% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2025, driven by AI-led optimisation, personalised targeting, and a renewed focus on retention. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region led this growth surge, with gaming and entertainment apps continuing to dominate engagement and monetisation.
“The challenge for marketers today isn’t a lack of data; it’s knowing which signals matter most,” said Tiahn Wetzler, Director of Content and Insights at Adjust. “With engagement and retention now just as critical as install volume and cost efficiency, our new Growth Score provides the clarity marketers need to prioritise investments, capture opportunities and sustain growth. This year, that clarity is most evident across APAC.”
APAC Leads with Scale and Efficiency
Based on data from over 5,000 leading apps worldwide, Adjust’s proprietary Growth Score measures performance using four key inputs, installs, inverse cost-per-install (CPI), sessions per user per day, and retention. The global average score stood at 29.2, setting the benchmark for app performance across all regions and categories.
The APAC region led with a Growth Score of 45, far above the global average, reflecting its mix of scale, cost efficiency, and engagement. India (49) and Indonesia (43.1) emerged as regional powerhouses, while Vietnam (33.9) and the Philippines (33.3) showed strong upward momentum. Japan (30.9) and Malaysia (29.9) performed steadily as mature markets focusing on retention and monetisation.
Gaming Anchors APAC’s App Economy
Gaming continues to be APAC’s strongest category, achieving a Growth Score of 37, ahead of all other verticals. Sub-segments such as music (41.2), card (35.7) and board games (34.6) highlight the region’s deep gaming culture.
APAC is projected to generate US$66.7 billion in gaming revenue in 2025 — the largest global share — fuelled by its youthful, mobile-first population, the rise of esports, and the growth of hybrid monetisation models blending in-app purchases with advertising.
India leads globally in gaming with a score of 52.2, supported by more than 650 million mobile gamers and acquisition costs as low as US$0.03. Indonesia (40.1) and Vietnam (36.2) also rank among the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets, showcasing how smaller economies are scaling rapidly.
Beyond gaming, entertainment apps achieved a Growth Score of 31.9, driven by demand for video streaming and social content. Utilities (28.6) and photo & video apps (26.7) performed strongly, while finance (22.9) and shopping (22.6) reflected APAC’s shift towards mobile banking and e-commerce-driven experiences.
Global Trends Point to Sustained Growth
While APAC continues to set the pace, other regions demonstrated healthy performance. MENAT (33.3) and Europe (32.4) maintained robust retention and monetisation, while Latin America (30.5) recorded rapid growth led by Argentina. North America (27.3), though mature, remains a high-value market driven by monetisation rather than new installs.
Globally, gaming apps achieved the highest Growth Score (45.8), followed by marketplace and classifieds (40.8), news and magazines (36.4), and banking apps (33.6).
“The momentum we’re seeing in APAC reflects a deep shift in how consumers interact with mobile apps,” said April Tayson, Regional Vice President for INSEA at Adjust. “From gaming to finance, users are embracing more immersive and rewarding experiences, and this innovation is shaping the future of the global app economy.”
