KARACHI — Pakistan has secured a place among the world’s top 10 markets for mobile app downloads in 2024, reflecting the country’s growing digital engagement and the increasing reliance on smartphones for communication, entertainment, and commerce.
According to data released by IT research firm Data Darbar, Pakistan recorded 3.56 billion app installs last year marking a 9.2% increase compared to 2023. This surge placed the country ninth globally in total downloads and 12th in total hours spent on mobile apps.
Pakistanis collectively spent an impressive 79.1 billion hours using mobile applications, up 14.1% year-on-year, highlighting how deeply mobile technology has become embedded in everyday life. Average mobile data consumption also grew sharply, reaching 8.4 GB per user per month, while overall broadband usage crossed 13,000 petabytes across 134.8 million broadband connections.
However, despite the massive rise in app usage, the local app development sector experienced a notable slowdown. The number of active developers dropped by 26%, falling to 1,400 in 2024, while new Android app releases declined by 55%, totaling just 1,700. In all, 2,500 new apps were launched in the year including 1,053 games and 784 iOS applications.
When it comes to popular platforms, TikTok remained the most downloaded app in Pakistan with 32.4 million installs, followed by CapCut (27.1 million), Facebook (24.3 million), and WhatsApp (22.7 million). Meanwhile, WhatsApp Business also performed strongly, with 20.9 million downloads, signaling robust growth among small businesses and entrepreneurs.
In the streaming category, Tamasha led the way with 10.2 million installs, outperforming global giants like Netflix (3.7 million) and Tapmad (2.5 million) a sign of increasing demand for local and regional entertainment platforms.
Regionally, Pakistan outperformed many peers in terms of app download growth, surpassing Indonesia (8.6%), the Philippines (1.2%), and Mexico (1.2%). In contrast, Vietnam and Egypt saw declines of 13.6% and 1.7%, respectively.
Globally, mobile app usage continued to boom with 136 billion total downloads and 4.2 trillion hours spent across all platforms. Mobile ad spending reached $195 billion, while in-app purchases generated $150 billion in revenue. The report also highlighted the rapid rise of AI-powered applications, which recorded 1.49 billion downloads and contributed $1.27 billion in global revenue.
Experts say Pakistan’s position among the world’s top app markets reflects both a young, tech-savvy population and the rapid expansion of affordable internet access. However, they warn that to sustain this growth, investment in local app development and digital entrepreneurship will be essential in the coming years.
