Global food delivery and rideshare apps surge in 2025 as India leads market expansion and ad wars intensify

The global gig economy is entering a new phase of expansion in 2025, with both food delivery and rideshare apps posting strong growth driven by emerging markets, increased ad spending, and strategic partnerships reshaping competition.

According to the State of Food Delivery & Rideshare 2025 report, global downloads for food delivery apps climbed 40% year-over-year in the first three quarters of 2025, while rideshare app downloads rose 16% over the same period. The rebound has triggered an advertising surge, with U.S. rideshare ad spend up 37% YoY and food delivery up 28% YoY in Q3 2025.

Asia now dominates the global food delivery market, accounting for over 55% of global app downloads in Q3 2025 — a 10 percentage point increase from the previous year. Much of this momentum is credited to India’s ultra-fast grocery delivery sector, where platforms such as BigBasket, Blinkit, and Zepto have driven a 147% YoY surge in app downloads during H1 2025.

Meanwhile, mature regions such as North America, Europe, and Latin America saw a combined 10-point decline in global share, signaling a clear shift in industry power toward Asian markets.

Unlike food delivery’s cyclical rebound, rideshare apps continue on a steady growth path. Global rideshare downloads have increased from 280 million in H1 2022 to over 400 million in H1 2025, maintaining consistent demand tied to travel peaks during summer and holiday seasons.

The fierce competition for user acquisition has sparked what analysts describe as a digital “arms race.” In the U.S., DoorDash leads the food delivery ad market with a 31% share of impressions, followed by Uber Eats at 24%. India’s ultra-fast grocery platforms are even more aggressive — Blinkit, Zepto, BigBasket, and Instamart collectively control 93% of ad impressions, as ad spend in the category doubled between Q2 2024 and Q3 2025.

Markets like Canada, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. are also preparing for sharp ad spending spikes in Q4, aligning campaigns with holiday promotions and year-end customer acquisition pushes.

DoorDash is increasingly targeting gaming audiences, significantly increasing its Twitch ad spend by 153% YoY during the first three quarters of 2025. The move has paid off — the company’s penetration among PC gamers (22%) and console gamers (21%) continues to climb. By contrast, Uber Eats has pulled back from gaming platforms, leading to declining engagement in both segments.

As rideshare and food delivery continue to expand globally, competition is intensifying around regional dominance, user retention, and digital ad efficiency. With India emerging as the central growth engine and Western markets doubling down on high-value consumers, the balance of power in the gig economy is shifting — signaling a new era defined by global scale, niche audience targeting, and data-driven ad strategies.