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After years of impressive growth, the video game industry is on track to hit a new milestone and become a half-trillion-dollar market in 2025. One-fifth of that value will come from mobile gaming, the market’s third-largest revenue stream after gaming hardware and in-game advertising. While some have questioned whether mobile games can sustain their previous momentum, the market is far from cooling down. The latest market forecasts show steady growth through the end of the decade.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, the mobile games industry is expected to grow at an average annual rate of $8 billion and reach $156 billion in revenue by 2029.
Fifteen years after their initial boom, mobile games remain one of the most popular and resilient parts of the gaming industry. Their easy access, quick gameplay, and low entry costs have always pushed them one step ahead of console and PC games, making them more accessible to a global audience. Plus, fun updates, social features, and addictive gameplay keep players hooked, even as other segments struggle with rising development costs and slower user growth.
As a result, the entire industry is expected to maintain a similar pace of growth by the end of the decade, adding billions of dollars in revenue each year. According to the Statista Market Forecast survey, the mobile games industry generated $118.5 billion in revenue last year. This figure is expected to increase by 6.4% and reach over $126 billion by 2025. Although the market is experiencing signs of saturation in some areas, it will continue to grow globally thanks to new players in emerging countries and smarter ways to make money from games.
Mobile gaming revenue to jump 32%
Statista expects the mobile games market to continue growing at an average annual rate of $8 billion through 2029, reaching a total revenue of $156.5 billion, which is 32% higher than last year. The average revenue per user is also expected to increase. In 2024, mobile phone users worldwide spent an average of $59 on gaming apps. This figure is expected to rise to over $60 this year and then jump to over $65 by 2029.
On a global scale, the US will lead this growth. By 2029, Americans are expected to spend $46.9 billion on mobile, representing a 37% increase from last year and accounting for over 30% of the industry total. China follows with $38.5 billion in projected revenue and a five-year growth of 31%. Together, these two markets will generate nearly 55% of total mobile gaming revenue in 2029, once again confirming Americans and Chinese as the world’s top gaming app spenders.
Besides impressive revenue growth, the mobile games segment is also expected to see a surge in new players, with hundreds of millions joining by the end of the decade.
Last year, more than 2 billion people worldwide played and spent money on mobile games, representing a 5% increase from the previous year. Statista expects a similar pace of growth in the coming years, with the market adding around 100 million new players each year and reaching 2.4 billion users by 2029.
