The average spend in the US App Store during 2018 trumped 2017 by some 36 percent. iPhone users in the United States spent an average of $79 on games and apps according to a report by Sensor Tower.
Revenue generated per active iPhone user in the US for 2017 was an average of $58, with user spending roughly $21 more for in-app purchases and paid downloads than that of last year. Spending for in-app purchases and paid downloads has rose steadily since 2015. App Store spending for 2015 equated to an average of $33 per user, rising to $47 in 2016.
The bulk of the spending growth stemmed from mobile gaming. At $44, 56% of total spending on the App Store could be attributed to games, a 22% rise on 2017’s average spend of $36. Other categories also welcomed a rise in spending with greater revenue also being generated from the likes of music, social networking, entertainment and health and fitness.
Another plausible reason for increased spending may also be down to the rise of subscription apps. The App Store is invaluable to Apple as it is a major revenue driver in regards to its services category. App purchases set new revenue records daily, consider the single-day revenue record spend on New Year’s Day – customers spent a staggering $322 million which may just suggest that 2019 sees an even greater average user spend than 2018. The App Store attracted revenue of more than $1.22 billion over the festive period.