According to infographics, 35% of smartphone users in Pakistan carry low-cost phones for safety and 68% of the smartphone users in Pakistan are on Android. iPhones aren’t popular in Pakistan mainly because they are very expensive due to taxes and other charges. For example, a basic iPhone 13 costs about Rs. 230,000 while Android phones come in various price ranges from as low as Rs. 15,000 to over Rs. 100,000 giving Pakistani users more choices. iOS devices are more locked down and restricted while Android devices are more open and customizable. Most Android apps are free to download, but some need to be purchased. There are 3,205,415 free apps on Google Play compared with 88,098 paid apps. Meanwhile, the App Store has 1,800,654 free apps and 92,277 paid apps. In this research article, our Tashheer team conducted their thorough research on how Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries for Android usage. Read more about Regulatory Duty on Mobile Phones Removed in Pakistan.

Mobile App Downloads and Consumer Spending Trends

According to a recent analytical report, Pakistan is now in the list of the top 10 countries with the highest usage of Android phones. This report provides a complete overview of the country’s mobile app landscape, highlighting key trends and insights shaping the industry.

In 2023, Pakistan recorded approximately 3.51 billion mobile app downloads showing minimal change compared to the 3.52 billion downloads in the preceding year, according to Data.ai. However, consumer expenditure in the nation increased to over $87 million from $82 million. Globally, the mobile app sector saw a slight adjustment with new installs growing by 0.8% to reach 257 billion while consumer spending rose by 2.4% to $171 billion.

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Impact of Declining Broadband Costs on Mobile Data Consumption

In 2023, Pakistan’s rapid app download growth slowed, aligning with a global trend seen in countries like Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as said by Natasha Uderani, co-founder of Data Darbar. However, with the constant decline in broadband costs, Pakistani people are now consuming more mobile data than ever. This means that apps will take center stage for the country’s digitalization wave and download growth will reaccelerate in the coming years.

Here is the table of Recent data on the most downloaded Pakistani apps by active users in Pakistan:

Analysis of Successful App Categories Reveals Entertainment and Finance Apps

Entertainment and finance are indeed two categories that have shown significant success in the app industry. In top-performing categories, entertainment saw 172 million downloads with Jazz’s Tamasha leading while finance recorded 144 million downloads, led by Telenor’s Easypaisa. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the adoption of digital entertainment and finance solutions. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube have captivated audiences worldwide generating a surge in demand for apps that enable users to produce and consume short-form videos. As people spend more time with videos, they want apps that make video editing better. This growing demand for video and photo editors further contributes to the evolving revenue landscape.

Opportunities for Innovation in Various App Categories

Jonathan Mark, the chief commercial officer of Begin, a premium streaming service, said, “The popularity of streaming and finance apps in Pakistan shows that people are using their phones more for entertainment and banking. As people get more comfortable with technology and their demand for digital services rises, we expect to see further innovation and growth in these app categories.

Local App Publishers and Industry Growth

In 2023, Pakistan released around 5,000 apps, putting it behind Vietnam. With a rise in IT companies, the industry is expected to grow in the coming years, especially in export-focused gaming and apps. Additionally, a flourishing app market, particularly for locally developed apps, could inspire more people to use smartphones.

Outlook for Future Growth

The app market in Pakistan is predicted to grow significantly in the coming years. Furthermore, it is estimated that app market in Pakistan will experience an annual growth rate of 9.34% from 2022 to 2027. This big number shows that mobile apps are becoming more popular in the country, with steady growth expected to reach €168.20m by 2027, indicating a promising future for the App market in Pakistan. As smartphones become cheaper, more people will likely be able to access them, further increasing mobile usage.

Final Words

IT/ITeS sector in Pakistan is one of the fastest growing sectors, contributing about 1% of the country’s GDP, which is about 3.5 billion USD. It has doubled in the past four years, and experts anticipate it to grow further 100% in the next two to four years to $7 billion. Pakistan ranked 10th globally in terms of hours spent on Android devices with Pakistani users spending a total of 99 billion hours on their smartphones in 2023. Maximum Pakistani population prefers Android phones to iPhones due to their reasonable costs which suit their low budgets.  Stat Counter research reports that only 6.04% of smartphones in Pakistan run on iOS while a large majority of 93.13% use Android. The remaining 0.83% use lesser known operating systems like KaiOS on feature phones. In this thorough article, our Tashheer research team compiled all the recent statistics from different sources and explained how Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries for Android usage. this detail will help you to estimate the future growth and development of the IT sector in Pakistan.