App downloads by category (bar chart)

The bar chart shows the number of global app downloads, in billions, across five categories in 2018 and 2023.

Overall, downloads increased in every category over the five years, with games staying the most downloaded and the smaller categories growing the fastest in relative terms.

In 2018, games had the most downloads at 30 billion, followed by social apps at 22 billion. The other three categories were much lower: finance at 8 billion, education at 6 billion and health at 5 billion. By 2023, all categories had risen. Games reached 42 billion and social apps 35 billion, keeping their top two positions. Finance more than doubled to 20 billion, while education rose to 18 billion and health to 15 billion. So although games remained the largest category throughout, the gap between the different categories became noticeably smaller.

The bar chart compares the number of global app downloads, in billions, across five categories - games, social, finance, education and health - in 2018 and 2023.

Overall, downloads increased in every category over the five-year period. Games remained the most downloaded category in both years, whereas the finance, education and health categories, though smaller, recorded the greatest proportional growth.

In 2018, games dominated with 30 billion downloads, well ahead of social apps at 22 billion. The remaining categories were considerably smaller, with finance on 8 billion, education on 6 billion and health lowest at 5 billion. By 2023, games had risen to 42 billion and social apps to 35 billion, maintaining their positions as the top two categories.

The most notable changes occurred lower down the chart. Education downloads tripled from 6 to 18 billion, and health downloads likewise trebled from 5 to 15 billion, while finance downloads increased two-and-a-half times from 8 to 20 billion. Despite this rapid expansion, health remained the least downloaded category in 2023, just as it had been five years earlier.