Apple report says the App Store supported $519 billion in sales last year
Apple took no commission on most of it.
If you’re an iPhone customer you’re probably used to spending the odd dollar here or there for an app or game upgrade, but a new study has revealed that the cumulative total of these odd dollars adds up to the pretty enormous sum of $61 billion. Not only that, but the App Store is also responsible for spurring some $413 billion in sales for physical goods and services, such as food delivery and ride-hailing.
The study, conducted last year by Apple, revealed that overall, the App Store ecosystem supported a total $519 billion in billings and sales around the world. In-app advertising accounted for $45 billion, digital goods and services added up to $61 billion, and physical goods and services clocked in at $413 billion. While Apple takes a commission of between 15 percent and 30 percent for digital goods and services purchased through the App Store, when it comes to advertising and apps selling physical goods, the iPhone maker takes nothing.
Apple says that it commissioned the study in a bid to quantify the wider impact of its App Store on economies around the world. Indeed, the way we use our devices has changed significantly over the last decade, and we rely on them to help with everything in our lives, from getting around to getting fed. This in turn creates an environment for entrepreneurship and the opportunity for job creation, so the App Store certainly has an economic impact beyond the sales it facilitates, although that’s a figure that will prove much harder to determine.
