China’s mobile application market has surged to become the second largest in the world, according to recent research.
Analytics firm Flurry reports an 840% increase in app usage in China this year, a growth rate roughly four times higher than the global average among the top 100 countries.
The country now trails only the United States in total app market size and may challenge the U.S. for the top spot if current trends continue.
Other nations in the Asia-Pacific region also ranked among the fastest-growing markets, with India showing a 398% increase and Thailand 351%.
Flurry attributes much of China’s rapid growth to rising incomes among its expanding middle class, which is driving widespread smartphone adoption and greater demand for mobile apps.
Peter Farago of Flurry commented: “While the top 100 countries are averaging session growth of over 200%, China is delivering more than four times this growth rate, spurred by a massive population voraciously adopting applications.”
The research also indicates declining app activity in the United States, suggesting that China could surpass the U.S. in app usage by 2013 if the current trajectory continues.
Flurry’s findings are based on metrics including the number of customers downloading apps from local app stores and the amount of time users spend in those stores and applications.
Farago added: “As one of the fastest modernizing and largest countries in the world, the adoption of mobile apps in China is unprecedented. Whether measuring existing app session volume or new demand for apps, the growth rates are consistent.”
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