May 30 2025 – Apple unveiled an official press release yesterday (May 29) detailing the performance of its U.S. App Store ecosystem in 2024. The company reported that it has facilitated developers in generating a staggering $406 billion in revenue and sales, with 90% of that amount earned without any commission fees paid to Apple.
This research report was jointly issued by Apple, in collaboration with Andrey Fradkin, a professor from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, and Dr. Jessica Burley, an economist from Analysis Group.
According to Apple, over the past five years, the scale of the U.S. App Store ecosystem has surged almost threefold, from 142billionin2019to406 billion in 2024. During this period, the income of American developers has also doubled. Notably, small developers have shown remarkable performance, with their revenues growing by 76% between 2021 and 2024.
Apple emphasized that since its launch in 2008, the U.S. App Store has consistently served as a fertile ground for developers’ businesses. In 2024, the ecosystem generated 277billioninrevenuefromphysicalgoodsandservices,75 billion from in-app advertising, and $53 billion from digital goods and services. Key growth drivers included food and grocery delivery, entertainment, and enterprise applications.
AI-powered applications are increasingly transforming users’ lives and standing at the forefront of innovation. Since 2019, spending on physical goods and services has more than tripled, while spending on digital goods and advertising has doubled. Applications in sectors such as travel and food delivery have surpassed ride-hailing apps in usage, indicating a strong demand for convenient services among users.
American developers have seen revenue growth across various categories, including productivity, education, business, and gaming, with gaming leading the pack in terms of income.
By leveraging the App Store, U.S. developers have been able to list their apps in stores across 175 countries and regions worldwide, facilitating easy commercialization. The App Store’s seamless payment and commerce systems have provided developers with significant convenience. Many American developers’ apps have topped overseas download charts, ranking among the top five in 170 out of 175 stores.
Apple reiterated its commitment to continuously investing in App Store features. Tools like App Store Connect help developers track app performance and enhance user engagement. The App Store Small Business Program supports small developers, as exemplified by the skiing app Slopes, which evolved from a solo developer’s passion project into an international app serving over 5 million users.
