U.S. App Store ecosystem drives $406 billion in developer sales in 2024, Apple reports

Apple’s App Store ecosystem in the United States facilitated $406 billion in developer billings and sales during 2024, according to a new Apple-commissioned study conducted by Boston University’s Professor Andrey Fradkin and economist Dr. Jessica Burley from Analysis Group. The data reflects a significant increase from $142 billion in 2019, nearly tripling the size of the ecosystem over the past five years.

The report emphasizes that over 90% of these transactions occurred without developers paying a commission to Apple, underscoring the shift toward monetization models outside traditional app sales. The breakdown includes $277 billion from physical goods and services, $75 billion from in-app advertising, and $53 billion from digital goods and services. Physical services such as retail, travel, and food delivery led spending, with general retail alone accounting for $146 billion.

Spending trends have evolved significantly. Travel and food delivery surpassed ride-hailing, and grocery services continued to grow. Within digital categories, gaming dominated earnings, while sectors like productivity, education, and enterprise also saw gains. In total, earnings for U.S.-based developers more than doubled since 2019, with small developer revenues rising 76% between 2021 and 2024.

The report also points to international reach, highlighting that U.S. developers can list apps across 175 App Store storefronts. Apple says many American-developed apps ranked among the top five downloads in 170 of those regions.

In tandem with its economic impact announcement, Apple reiterated recent security metrics. In 2024, the App Store blocked over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions and rejected nearly 2 million app submissions for failing to meet standards related to privacy, reliability, and safety. Over the last five years, Apple claims to have prevented over $9 billion in fraud.

To support the growing developer base, Apple has continued investing in developer tools and resources, including StoreKit enhancements, custom product pages, and App Store Connect analytics. Accessibility features like Nutrition Labels are expected to roll out later this year.

Apple’s developer programs have also expanded. The App Store Small Business Program, for instance, has helped apps like Slopes—originally created by a solo developer—scale to over 5 million users globally. Meanwhile, the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, launched in 2021, has trained over 1,200 students in coding, AI, and app design.

Across the broader U.S. economy, Apple says it supports over 2.9 million jobs through direct employment, supply chain relationships, and the iOS app ecosystem. These figures come at a time when the company continues to face regulatory scrutiny over its App Store policies in both the U.S. and international markets.