New information from mobile app analytics platform App Annie suggests that Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey and India are the next growth markets for players in the mobile app industry to watch. It says the mobile infrastructure and rate of development in these countries is creating significant new opportunities for app publishers.
The data - from an analysis of Android and iOS apps - has been published in a new report produced in partnership with MEF, the mobile content and commerce community.
China is the largest of the growth markets, with downloads growing by 10% in the last year. This meant its overall total was the second-largest in the world, with only the USA ahead.
However, Brazil had a much higher growth rate, seeing app downloads double in the past 12 months. Downloads were also high in Indonesia (a 70% increase year-on-year), Mexico (60%), Turkey (60%) and India (30%).
Olivier Bernard, vice president of the EMEA region at App Annie, said “Emerging markets offer a huge opportunity for app publishers. However, moving into new markets is not always as simple as translating an app. As different cultures may respond differently to different monetization models or feature updates, local content and an understanding of the local app market, local competitors and local expectations is key to making the most of these rapidly growing opportunities.”
However, the report also notes that app revenue in emerging markets remains small when compared to more established markets. For example, the total number of app downloads in Germany remained stable from Q3 2013 to Q3 2014 - yet app revenue increased by 80% in the same period.
[Report: App Annie & MEF: Emerging Markets and Growth in the Global App Economy]