Apple App Store ecosystem in China to reach 4 trillion yuan by 2025

A new research report conducted by Apple, in collaboration with experts from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and Analyst Consulting, reveals that the App Store ecosystem in mainland China is projected to reach 4 trillion yuan in total transaction volume and sales by 2025. This represents a more than twofold increase from approximately 2 trillion yuan in 2020.

The vast majority of this ecosystem, over 95%, consists of transactions that do not incur Apple commissions, primarily driven by physical goods and services such as food delivery, travel bookings, and ride-hailing services. These physical transactions account for roughly 3.7 trillion yuan, or 91% of the total volume. Digital goods, services, and in-app advertising contribute the remaining portion.

The report also highlights the global expansion of Chinese developers. Between 2020 and 2025, the proportion of revenue from overseas users for Chinese developers rose from 32% to 52%. Currently, 76% of Chinese developers utilize the platform to conduct business internationally, resulting in 3.8 billion downloads outside of China. Within the mainland market, local developers account for 93% of downloads and 98% of App Store revenue.