Consumers spend record $32bn on apps in Q1 2021 globally

New Delhi: Consumers spent $32 billion on in-app purchases across iOS and Google Play globally in Q1 this year, the biggest quarter ever and 40 per cent from the same quarter last year, a new report has revealed.

The market grew at unprecedented speed during the Covid-19 pandemic as millions stayed home, and smartphone users spent around $9 billion more on apps and games in Q1 2021 than they did in Q1 2020, according to app analytics firm App Annie.

The growth in Q1 2021 was shared equally by the two platforms. Consumers spend grew 40 per cent (year-over-year) to $21 billion on iOS, and by the same percentage to around $11 billion on Google Play.