Mobile gaming statistics from a few years ago are not relevant anymore. Yet, so many sources recycle the same statistics and just put a 2026 label on them.
Find this super annoying?
We feel you.
When it comes to the mobile game industry, information that is two or three years old is already passé.
You no longer need to spend hours searching and despairing — this article gathers the most relevant and up-to-date mobile gaming statistics and game industry trends for 2026 and beyond.
Mobile Gaming Market Statistics
The global mobile gaming market saw a decline in downloads, but a 1.3% increase in revenue.
- In 2025, there were 50.4 billion mobile game downloads, which is a –7.2% decline from 2024 (Sensor Tower*).
- The global mobile consumer spending in 2025 was $81.7 billion, up +1.3% from 2024 (Sensor Tower*).
- The total number of hours spent playing was 444 billion, +0.9% from 2024. (Sensor Tower).
- The gaming industry has totaled $188.8 billion in total revenue, +3.4% compared with 2024. (Newzoo)
- Mobile gaming is still the most lucrative gaming sector, with approximately $103 billion in annual revenues (55% of market revenue). Console gaming is second, with $45.9 (24% of market revenue) and PC is last, with $39.9 billion (21% of market revenue). (Newzoo)
*The data comes from Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2025 report. However, the report does not include data for Android in China, so the number may be an underestimate.
Mobile Game Statistics by Country
What is the largest market for mobile games? Which markets dominate in revenue, and which in downloads?
Let’s take a look at the latest mobile game market rankings by Sensor Tower.
The top markets by revenue remained unchanged, while India and Indonesia are the countries with the highest number of downloads.
Top Mobile Game Markets by Downloads
- India, 8.18 billion downloads
- Indonesia, 8.18 billion downloads
- United States, 3.6 billion downloads
- Brazil, 3.32 billion downloads
- Mexico, 2 billion downloads
Top Mobile Game Markets by Revenue
- United States, $26.12 billion
- China, $12.47 billion*
- Japan, $10.62 billion
- South Korea, $5.27 billion
- Germany, $2.89 billion
*The data comes from Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report. However, the report does not include data for Android in China, so the number may be an underestimate.
Mobile Game Genre Statistics
Strategy games had the biggest change in revenue and downloads.
- IAP revenue was $44.7 billion for Midcore games, $32.7 billion for Casual, and $4.2 billion for Hybridcasual.
- The number of downloads was 22 billion for Hypercasual games,14.3 billion for Casual games, 6 billion for Hybridcasual and 5.4 billion for Midcore.
- The total number of hours spent playing was 225.6 billion for Midcore games, 124.8 billion for Casual, 66.2 for Hypercasual and 27.5 for Hybridcasual.
- The mobile game genres that had the biggest YoY change in downloads were strategy, simulation and arcade, followed by shooter, RPG and casino.
- The leading mobile game genres by consumer spending were strategy, puzzle, and shooter games, according to Sensor Tower.
- The top mobile game subgenres by time spent are simulation, puzzle and strategy games.
*The data in this section was taken from Sensor Tower’s The State of Mobile 2026
Mobile Gaming Statistics: Players
How many gamers are on mobile? Why do people play mobile games?
Here are the latest mobile gaming statistics that provide answers to these questions.
Number of Mobile Gamers & Demographics
Women are more likely to be mobile-only players.
- In 2025, the estimated number of mobile gamers was 3 billion, while the total number of gamers was 3.6 billion. It’s a +4.5% increase compared to 2024. (Newzoo)
- Considering all platforms, mobile gaming has the highest percentage of players (83%), while PC and consoles are less common (26% and 18% of players). (Newzoo)
- Looking at the whole gaming population (so mobile, PC and consoles), there is a slight majority of male players: 55% of men vs 45% of women. However, 44% of women players game exclusively on mobile, vs. 27% of men.
- The most common age group for mobile gamers is 18-34, with 38% of this demographic actively playing mobile games (Business of Apps)
Mobile Gaming by Generation
Younger generations are the most engaged and are reshaping game consumption.
- The top two generations by the share of mobile gamers are Gen Alpha at 94% and Gen Z at 92%, but they are closely followed by Millennials at 88% and Gen X at 72% (Newzoo).
- 79% of players engage with user-generated content and have played a user-generated content game (Xsolla).
- Adventure is the favourite game genre for Gen Alpha (54%), Gen Z (45%), and Millenials (44%), while Gen X (46%) and Baby Boomers (50%) prefer puzzles. (Newzoo)
- Younger players are drawn by the competitive (71%) and cooperative (68%) social elements of gaming. (Newzoo)
* Generation legenda: Gen Alpha (early 2010s or later), Gen Z (1995 to 2009), Millennials (1981 to 1994), Gen X (1965 to 1980)
Mobile Gaming Motivations
According to Statista, the top five things that motivate people to play mobile games are:
- Prevent or alleviate boredom (52%)
- Escape stress or unpleasant tasks (50%)
- Develop new skills or challenge oneself (45%)
- Engage in creativity or roleplay (21%)
- Compete with others (18%)
- Socialize with others (14%)
Social Connections
People are social creatures, and mobile gamers are no different.
In a survey carried out by Statista, video gamers said that:
- They agree that video games can introduce people to new friends (78%).
- They have met new people through video games (49%).
- Video games help them stay connected with family and friends (49%).
- They have met a good friend, spouse, or significant other through video games (39%).
Mobile Game Retention Statistics
Let’s take a look at the average mobile game retention rates to find out how users engage with and stick around in mobile games, according to AppFlyer’s data.
Average Retention Rates for Mobile Games
Sensor Tower has analyzed the top 25 games for each category, and here’s what they found on retention:
D1 Retention
- Casual: 31.01%
- Hypercasual: 38.03%
- Hybridcasual: 40.11%
- Midcore: 41.98%
D7 Retention
- Casual: 15.20%
- Hypercasual: 13.25
- Hybridcasual: 16.08%
- Midcore: 20.96%
D30 Retention
- Casual: 7.48%
- Hypercasual: 4.63%
- Hybridcasual: 5.86%
- Midcore: 11.45%
Overall, iOS shows higher retention rates than Android.
Retention Rates by Genre
Match, puzzle, and tabletop games dominate both short-term and long-term retention.
- Mobile game genres with the highest Day 1 retention are match (32.65%), puzzle (31.85%), tabletop (31.30%), RPG (30.54%) and simulation games (30.10%) (Business of Apps).
- Genres with the highest Day 30 retention rates are match (7.15%), tabletop (5.51%), puzzle (5.35%), casino (4.10%), and RPG games (3.48%) (Business of Apps).
Cross-Platform Play
Cross-device gaming remains one of the biggest mobile gaming trends.
- Nearly 50% of gamers play games on more than one platform (Newzoo)
- 15% of players are tri-platform players, switching between consoles, PCs, and mobile devices (Newzoo)
- The majority of tri-platform players are male (61%), and 46% of them are aged from 10 to 25 (Newzoo)
- The most popular genre among tri-platform gamers is adventure games, played by 68% of players (Newzoo)
Mobile Gaming Statistics: Downloads, Revenue, and Top Publishers
What was the most downloaded mobile game in 2024? Which games are making the big bucks?
Let’s answer these questions for you.
Top Mobile Games by Downloads
Block Blast! is again the most downloaded game of the year.
According to AppMagic, these are the most popular mobile games of last year, ranked by downloads.
- Block Blast!, 368.283.636
- Roblox, 294.548.042
- Free Fire: Winterlands, 287.009.305
- Subway Surfers, 190.754.627
- Pizza Ready!, 166.443.793
- Ludo King, 150.748.583
- Vita Mahjong, 125.711.798
- My Talking Tom 2: Pet Game, 122.289.746
- Hole.io, 121.437.589
- PUBG MOBILE, 115.494.642
Top Mobile Games by Revenue
Honor of Kings is the first game by revenue, reaching $1.7 billion in revenue in 2025.
These are the ten top-grossing mobile games of 2023, according to AppMagic.
- Honor of Kings, $1.683.911.252
- Last War: Survival, $1.573.337.948
- Roblox, $1.450.146.387
- Whiteout Survival, $1.401.542.915
- Royal Match, $1.374.587.444
- MONOPOLY GO!, $1.360.776.303
- PUBG MOBILE, $1.123.292.746
- Candy Crush Saga, $1.011.009.231
- Pokémon TCG Pocket, $677.353.575
- Coin Master, $650.648.450
Top Mobile Game Publishers
Chinese mobile game publishers continue to dominate the global revenue charts, but new names have emerged, too.
According to data by AppMagic, the top-grossing mobile game publishers of 2025 were:
- Tencent, China, $5.718.738.092
- Century Games Pte. Ltd., China, $2.051.857.611
- Scopely, Inc., United States, $1.632.360.633
- Dream Games, Turkey, $1.620.613.915
- FUNFLY PTE. LTD., Singapore, $1.596.878.886
- Roblox Corporation, United States, $1.450.146.387
- NetEase, China, $1.396.393.953
- Playrix, Ireland, $1.393.119.121
- King, Sweden, $1.296.223.417
- Supercell, Finland, $1.124.772.950
Final Thoughts on Top Mobile Gaming Statistics for 2026
These mobile gaming statistics are a reflection of the biggest industry trends.
At MAF, we are dedicated to informing our readers about the latest mobile game industry news, trends, and developments.
We’ll keep this article up to date throughout 2026 and regularly include new findings from upcoming industry reports. Stay in the loop with all of this — subscribe to our newsletter!
