25 Key Mobile Gaming Statistics in 2024

It’s common knowledge that mobile gaming is wildly popular among today’s global consumers.

We can back this fact up with the following current mobile gaming statistics. 

First, we will provide some basics about mobile gaming and then on to the statistics, figures, and data about the industry.

Mobile gaming relates to games played on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

There aren’t many of us unfamiliar with playing games on our phones and tablets these days.

The first-known mobile game designed for cell phones was designed in 1994 for the Hagenuk MT-2000 device.

This device was a mobile phone created and made in Denmark at the Hagenuk’s facility.

It’s more likely that we are more familiar with the game Snake that came preloaded on the Nokia brand features phones of the day. 

Since these first few games developed in the 1990s, more advanced mobile gaming options have been developed and introduced.

By the time Facebook was launched, so were more mobile games and then app stores like Apple and Google Play were launched. 

Today, these platforms are loaded with hundreds of thousands to millions of mobile games and apps.

Let’s move forward and discuss the world of mobile gaming statistics as we should know today.

Key Mobile Gaming Statistics

• In 2021, mobile gaming generated nearly $90 billion across Google and Apple apps stores.
• The global online mobile gaming market achieved $184.4 billion in 2022 across all platforms.
• The global mobile games market is expected to reach $315.90 billion in 2023.
• By 2027, the mobile game segment is expected to generate revenues of $419.70 billion.
• There are 3 billion mobile gamers across the globe. 
• According to 2021 statistics, 55% of women and 45% of men were playing mobile games.
• User penetration in mobile gaming is expected to reach 28.5% by 2025.
• Globally, the RPG genre generated the most revenue of all mobile gaming genres in 2021. 
• The sub-genre with the fastest growth year-over-year is real-time strategy mobile games.
• Out of over 2 billion global mobile gamers in 2020, only 38% said they were willing to pay for games.

Mobile Gaming Market Size

In 2020, not a lot of industries were thriving, but the video game market was.

In fact, digital media overall reached revenues they never expected during the pandemic. This includes mobile gaming. 

Let’s look at the mobile gaming market statistics in this section.

1. In 2021, Mobile Gaming Generated $90 Billion Across Google and Apple Apps Stores.

The actual figure that was generated by these giant mobile gaming store platforms amounted to $89.6 billion in 2021.

Google Play was responsible for $37.3 billion while iOS mobile games generated $52.3 billion of the $89.6 billion. 

In 2020, mobile gaming across the two giants in this market amounted to $79.6 billion in revenues, which shows a 12.6% year-over-year growth into 2021.

Additionally, this represented 67.4% of all in-app gaming in 2021.

The global pandemic is largely responsible for the boost in revenues due to the lockdowns and people having to stay home.

(SensorTower)

2. The Global Online Mobile Gaming Market Achieved $184.4 Billion in 2022 Across All Platforms.

This $184.4 billion doesn’t reflect a specific increase in mobile gaming revenue from Google and Apple.

This figure represents overarching revenues across all online all over the world.

Mobile gaming by itself generated $92.2 billion of the total online gaming figure. 

Therefore, the increase in mobile gaming revenues alone came to $2.6 billion over the revenues reported from 2021. 

For perspective, this figure towers over music and movie subscription and the global box office revenues in 2022.

The subscription music streaming market and the global box office market combined generated $26 billion. 

(IronSource)

3. The Global Mobile Games Market Is Expected to Reach $315.90 Billion in 2023.

Of the global $315.90 billion that is expected to be generated in 2023 in the mobile gaming market, China is expected to contribute the most at $97.350 million in 2023.

Therefore, global mobile gaming is expected to grow even more over 2023.

Gaming revenues come from various streams including buying games, in=app purchases, ad revenues, and other income streams.

According to data from 2019 to 2021, most revenues are generated through in-app purchases and in-game ads. 

Do you make in-app purchases?

(Statista 2023)

4. By 2027, the Mobile Game Segment Is Expected to Generate Revenues of $419.70 Billion.

The expert calculations reveal an annual growth CAGR of 7.36% between 2023 and 2027, which is where they came to the $419.70 billion forecast.

This means that the statistics show us that this market will continue to grow well past 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those of us who regularly play mobile games.

Our global society ranges from mobile gamers who are casual players to mobile gamers who are obsessed with these games. 

Could you do without your mobile games for a day?

(Statista 2023)

5. The Average ARPU (average Revenue per User) Is Predicted to Come to $164 in 2023.

What does this statistic mean? It means that each person playing mobile games is expected to spend $164 over the year in 2023.

These figures are predicted and expected based on several variables and aren’t exact.

Between the end of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, we will have more accurate data related to how much each mobile gamer spends on games in 2023.

Revenue reports don’t usually go public for all mobile gaming platforms. 

Not all companies are forthcoming with their annual revenues. Those who must show accountability do.

(Statista 2023)

Mobile Gamers Statistics

Without gamers, the mobile gaming market wouldn’t exist. So, in this section, we will address the changes in mobile gamers over the past four years.

6. As of Mid-2022, There Are 3 Billion Mobile Gamers Across the Globe. 

By the end of 2021, there were 2.6 billion gamers in the world, so it’s not a stretch to learn that in 2022, mobile gamers in the world grew to an impressive 3 billion in number.

Not only that, but there is a rising number of those who love to watch esports all over the world. 

Needless to say, there are literally billions of people all over the globe playing mobile games. The reasons for this are many.

Some like the portability of mobile gaming, some like the engagement that some games offer, some people just like to relax by playing mobile video games.

(Influencer MarketingHub)

7. According to 2021 Statistics, 55% of Women and 45% of Men Were Playing Mobile Games.

As of a January 2021 survey of mobile gamers, 45% of men responded that they play mobile games, while 55% of women said the same.

By mid-2022, 57.7% of American men were playing mobile games compared to 42.3% of women. 

Among male and female gamers who played mobile games in 2021, 32.7% of them were between 25 and 34 years old.

Also, more than 50% of all gamers are older than 34 years old. 

Overall, the average age of mobile gamers is 36 years old. 

(exoClick, Statista 2)

8. The Biggest Share of Mobile Gamers Goes to China at 744.1 Million Mobile Players.

China not only generates the most revenue for the mobile gaming market, but they also have the most players in the world at 744.1 million.

Also, they generate the most revenues for mobile gaming with $45.8 billion.

The United States holds the second largest market share of mobile gamers at 209.8 million mobile gamers that generate $45 billion in revenues.

So, the United States generates nearly as much in revenues as China in the mobile gaming market.

China is the most populated country in the world with over 1.43 billion people.

Therefore, it kind of makes sense that they would hold the market share in mobile gamers.

(Newzoo)

9.  In 2021 and 2022, Garena Free Fire Was the Top Mobile Game Downloaded on Both the App Store and Google Play.

What are gamers playing the most? It appears that Grena Free Fire has maintained the number one spot in downloads on both the App Store and Google Play in 2021 and 2022.

Also, Subway Surfers has maintained second place in the same period.

Garena Free Fire is in the game class of mid-core games.

Mid-core games are considered more complex and sophisticated than casual and hyper-casual mobile games.

Mid-core games are the kind you play off and on. They must be regularly played. 

Garena Free Fire is a battle royale game and is available on iOS and Android devices.

Subway Surfers falls in the game class of casual games and is categorized as an endless runner game.

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

10. User Penetration in Mobile Gaming Is Expected to Reach 28.5% by 2025.

According to the statistics, the industry is expected to reach 28.5% in user penetration by 2025.

In 2021, the United States had the highest penetration rate in mobile gaming (per population) at 46.8%.

South Korea isn’t far behind the United States with a mobile gamer population penetration rate of 44.9% and growing.

While China has the most mobile gamers overall countries, its population penetration rate is only 38.8%.

These statistics are drawn from calculating the mobile gamer penetration rate by population.

So, even if the population is small, the percentage of mobile gamers may be higher according to their population.

Naturally, larger countries with higher populations are going to have more mobile gamers overall, but their penetration rate isn’t always larger.

(Udonis)

Statistics by Game Genre and Game

This section is going to cover the mobile gaming industry data according to game genre and game.

We will learn what game genre is the most popular and what mobile games are played the most.  

11. 2021 Data Shows that Puzzle Mobile Games Accounted for 21.18% of iOS Gaming in The 2nd Quarter.

The puzzle gaming category is where the most iOS gaming revenue came from in 2021.

After that, casino games (18.9%), strategy (17.17%), and RPG (14.23%) accounted for most of iOS gaming revenues. 

After these mobile game genres, simulation (10.4%), shooter (5.56%), lifestyle (3.86%), sports (3.4%), and other genres of mobile games generated iOS revenues in the first quarter of 2021. 

It’s widely known that the realm of video games by and large is a diverse community of users across computer, console, and mobile gaming. 

(Statistia 3)

12. Globally, the RPG Genre Generated the Most Revenue of All Mobile Gaming Genres in 2021. 

RPG mobile games generated the most revenue in 2021, which was ahead of genres like strategy and puzzle games.

Between 2020 and 2021, the RPG genre of mobile gaming saw a 5% increase in revenues from $22.8 billion to $24 billion.

The Strategy genre saw bigger growth in revenues than RPG but didn’t achieve the highest revenue overall.

Strategy mobile games saw an increase of 13% between 2020 and 2021 ($15.3 billion in 2020 and $17.3 billion in 2021).

The puzzle mobile game genre went from $8.6 billion in 2020 to $9.8 billion in 2021, which represents a 14% increase in revenue.

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

13. Even Though There Was Some Growth in Mobile Gaming Genres Between 2020 and 2022, RPG Saw a Drop of 13% Year-Over-Year. 

The top mobile game genres experienced declines in the first quarter of 2022. Here’s the breakdown for reference. 

1. RPG down 13% y/y
2. Strategy down 1% y/y
3. Puzzle down 6% y/y
4. Casino down 8% y/y 
5. Shooter down 14% y/y
6. Simulation not down or up y/y

Remember, the pandemic saw a rise in mobile gaming, but is not in decline since people are back at work and aren’t in lockdown.

It’s expected to see these fluctuations without major losses to mobile gaming.

Don’t be worried. Mobile gaming isn’t going away anytime soon. Mobile gaming is set to keep growing in users even when revenues fluctuate.

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

14. The Sub-Genre with The Fastest Growth Year-Over-Year Is Real-Time Strategy Mobile Games.

While some sub-genres are seeing a downturn, there are others that are still growing.

The fastest growing sub-genre in mobile gaming is in real-time strategy games.

This is according to data from the first quarter of 2022.

Along with real-time strategy mobile gaming growth, we have the following sub-genres on the rise.

1. Open World Adventure
2. MOBA
3. Card Battler
4. Tycoon/Crafting
5. Other Arcade
6. Idler
7. Build & Battle
8. Customization
9. Board

Sub-genres declining the fastest:

1. Social Casino
2. Realistic Sports
3. Puzzle RPG
4. Puzzle & Decorate
5. MMORPG
6. Geolocation AR
7. Battle Royale
8. Turn-Based RPG
9. Squad RPG
10. 4X Strategy

There’s no need to get discouraged because it’s normal to see fluctuations across all gaming sectors including mobile.

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

15. The Top Global Mobile Game of 2023 Is Roblox on Android and Dumb Ways to Die On iOS.

Globally, Roblox is the top mobile game in 2023. It’s getting the most downloads on Android.

On iOS, the top game being downloaded in 2023 is Dumb Ways to Die. 

So, depending on your mobile operating system Roblox or Dumb Ways to Die are the top games in 2023, so far.

Just because these have made the top lists for Android and iOS as top games doesn’t mean they represent the most played or highest revenue-generating mobile games. 

The top revenue-generating game on iOS in 2023 is Gardenscapes. Roblox is also Android’s top revenue-generating mobile game. 

While Gershin Impact ranks number one on iOS, Gardenscapes comes in 5th, yet is the highest generating mobile game on iOS. 

Top mobile games seem to be subjective, don’t they?

(Singular)

Mobile Gaming Player Spending

As with other gaming sectors, mobile gaming has players that like free stuff and others who will pay to play mobile games in-app and for the game itself.

Let’s see what the most recent available mobile gaming statistics say about player spending habits.

16. In the First Quarter of 2021 Alone, Mobile Gamers Spent $22.2 Billion on Mobile Games.

Spending in the mobile gaming sector in 2021 amounted to $22.2 billion among mobile gamers.

That’s up by 25% between Google Play and the App Store. 

Google Play mobile game spending in the first quarter of 2020 was $7 billion.

During the first quarter of 2021, that figure amounted to $9.2 billion, which represents a 31% increase over 2020.

App Store mobile game spending came to $10.7 billion in the first quarter of 2020, then rose to $13 billion in the first quarter of 2021. That’s an increase of 21%.

(SensorTower 2021)

17. 2022 Data Shows that Mobile Game Spending by Global Consumer Came to $110 Billion. 

Unfortunately, the mobile gaming spending habits in 2022 have decreased due mostly to inflation.

In fact, the current figures reveal a drop of 5% year-over-year. 

For reference, in 2021, mobile gamers’ spending accounted for $116 billion. This was considered a 15% year-over-year increase over 2020.

However, with inflation looming, these numbers took a dive in 2022. 

However, it’s expected that spending in the overall gaming market will hit $222 billion in 2023.

Since the mobile gaming segment is the most popular nowadays, it’s expected to share in this growth.

(Game Industry 2021, Game Industry 2022, Gaming Industry 2023)

18. Women Spend More on Mobile Games than Men.

At least 43% of women who play mobile games play at least five times per week. Only 38% of men do the same.

Overall, women play mobile games more often than men for whatever reasons. Also, women spend more in-app on mobile games than men.

In fact, 4.5% of women said they spend money on mobile games and on in-game items. M

en account for 3.3% of those who spend in-game money on items in mobile games. 

(PlayToday)

19. Out of Over 2 Billion Global Mobile Gamers in 2020, only 38% Said They Were Willing to Pay for Games.

Not all mobile gamers are willing to pay for games or for in-game items. Most mobile gamers want to stick to the free stuff to play.

Only 38% of mobile gamers in 2020 (out of over 2 billion mobile gamers) said they were willing to pay for mobile games.

Since these figures are from 2020, we may see a decrease in how many mobile gamers are willing to pay for mobile games or in-game items.

Due to inflation, we are seeing a decline in mobile gaming purchases overall.

(Newzoo 2020)

20. 31% of Parents in A 2020 Sell Cell Survey Said They Let Their Children Spend Money on Mobile Fortnite Gaming.

In 2020, kids were playing Fortnite on their mobile devices. Three in ten parents let their kids spend money on in-game purchases.

Another 67.1% of parents who participated in the survey said they worry about their children overspending on mobile games. 

Other mobile games that children spent money on included Candy Crush Sage, Pokemon Go, Roblox, Clash of Clans, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, and PUBG. 

One shocking piece of data was that six in ten parents say they don’t bother asking for a refund for accidental purchases.

However, 30.4% said they got their money back.

(SellCell, Statista 4)

General Mobile Gaming Statistics 

In this section, we will discuss a few more general mobile gaming statistics that are important for you to know.

21. In 2022, Turkey Passed Italy and Now Ranks Among the Top Five Mobile Game Markets in Europe.

In terms of mobile gaming revenues, Turkey outpaced Italy for the first time, gaining a place in the top five in mobile gaming revenues in Europe.

Turkey has seen a 36% year-over-year boost in mobile gaming revenues since 2018.

Currently, Turkey is the fastest growing market in the European realm and generates $160 million in consumer spending in the mobile gaming segment. 

Germany still got top ranking in mobile gaming revenues in Europe in 2022, but this region also experienced a 5% decrease year-over-year in 2022.

Overall, Turkey’s revenue in mobile gaming grew by almost $40 million year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022 alone. 

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

22. Google Play Had a Downturn in The Number of Mobile Games on The Platform in 2022 Over 2021.

By the final quarter of 2022, Google Play had 477,998 mobile games compared to 670,447 in the fourth quarter of 2021, which shows a wide downturn in mobile games on the platform. 

The App store saw growth with 295,676 mobile games in the final quarter of 2022 compared to the 275,013 in 2021’s fourth quarter. 

While these figures don’t represent the total of all mobile games on the market, both Google Play and the App Store share some of the same game titles. 

(Headphones Addict)

23. In the First Quarter of 2022, 14.4 Billion Global Mobile Games Were Downloaded on Both Major App Stores.

The global number of mobile games downloaded from both Google Play and the App Store came to a massive 14.4 billion in just the first quarter of 2022.

While we are seeing inflation impacting the spending habits in mobile games, people are still downloading and playing.

While the global pandemic contributed to the boom in mobile gaming between 2019 and 2021, we are still seeing new mobile gamers downloading free and paid games all over the world. 

(Influencer MarketingHub)

24. In Europe, Coin Master Is Back on Top in Mobile Games on Both Major App Stores.

In the first quarter of 2022, Coin Master regained its former glory to achieve number one again among mobile game downloads in Europe on both app stores (Google Play and App Store). 

Coin Master was number one in 2019 and 2020 but moved down to second in 2021 in Europe.

However, Coin Master got back on top in 2022.

Many of the top 10 mobile games maintain a ranking across app stores. Coin Master, Candy Crush Saga, PUBG Mobile, Gardenscapes, and Homescapes are five examples in the European market.

(SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022)

25. According to Apptica’s Highest-Grossing Mobile Games 2022 Report, Most Mobile Games Are from Studios that Have a U.S. Headquarters.

A vast majority of mobile games are created by studios that have headquarters in the United States.

The U.S. studio headquarters account for 17 locations.

After the U.S., mobile games have studios with headquarters in Ireland, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malta, Finland, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom. 

Here’s a breakdown of top headquarters by country:

1. United States: 28.8%
2. Ireland: 11.9%
3. Israel: 10.2%
4. Hong Kong: 8.5%
5. Finland: 8.5%
6. Singapore: 6.8%
7. Malta: 6.8%
8. United Kingdom: 6.8%
9. Austria: 3.4%
10. Germany: 3.4%
11. Taiwan: 1.7%

(Apptica)

FAQs

Conclusion

There you have it. A full list of 25 mobile gaming statistics that you need for 2024.

You now have the knowledge that the mobile gaming industry is worth over $120 billion as of 2022. 

If you play mobile games, you already know which games are the most popular, and which ones are played the most.

Remember, that “top” mobile games are a subjective ideal since there are so many mobile games and gamers that there’s room for diverse tastes in games. 

For instance, “mom games” or “grandma games” are buzz terms for casual games, puzzle games, hidden object games, and others.

Moms and grandmothers are apt to like word games and puzzles as well. It’s not that the younger crowd doesn’t play “mom games”.

It’s that they have other games they like more.

Casual games are popular, but RPG is a global favorite mobile gaming category.

Role-playing is popular among diverse age groups all over the world.

It doesn’t take much play time to get hooked on RPG or casual mobile games.

It’s believed that the convenience of taking mobile games with you everywhere you go is one of the things that make them appealing.

People cite a variety of reasons that they play mobile games. 

The top five reasons people say they love to play mobile games include:

1. For relaxation and stress reduction.
2. It’s a great way to use your downtime.
3. Some games give your brain a good workout.
4. Mobile games can be very social and connect people from all over the world.
5. It’s fun to play mobile games.

Do you play mobile games?

If so, what’s your reason for playing them? Do you fit into the top five reasons?

Where do you play mobile games?

Sources

Apptica	exoClick	Game Industry 2021
Game Industry 2022	Gaming Industry 2023	Headphones Addict
InfluencerMarketingHub	IronSource	Newzoo
Newzoo 2020	PlayToday	SellCell
SensorTower	SensorTower 2021	SensorTower: The State of Mobile Gaming 2022
Singular	Statista 2023	Statista 2
Statista 3	Statista 4	Udonis