Pakistani Apps Were Downloaded 1.6 Billion Times Worldwide in 2023

Pakistan recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% in global downloads of locally-made apps from 2018 to 2023. In 2023, apps developed in Pakistan were downloaded 1.6 billion times worldwide.

Google remains committed to closely supporting Pakistan’s gaming and app industry and has launched new programs including Game Design Masterclass and Google Ads Academy across major cities.

Google hosted Think Apps 2024 in Lahore, bringing together nearly 350 of Pakistan’s top developers, alongside global and regional industry leaders and experts. Building on the success of Think Apps in 2023, this year’s event, the largest for the industry, focused on empowering developers to harness AI to drive innovation, growth, and sustainability in Pakistan’s expanding app industry.

According to Access Partnership’s latest Economic Impact Report, Pakistan can realize a $6.6 billion annual increase in revenue potential by 2030 by focusing on digital exports, with the gaming and app industry identified as one of the key growth opportunity areas.

In recent years, Pakistan’s gaming and app industry has demonstrated impressive growth. While overall app downloads dipped slightly in 2023, placing the country at 17th globally, the industry remains resilient as in-app purchase (IAP) revenue soared by 50%.

One of the biggest opportunities for Pakistani developers is creating high-quality, sustainable games. Beyond that, reaching users across the world remains a top priority.

To double down on its commitment to supporting developers, Google is launching new programs in 2024:

• Game Design Masterclass: This program brings together Pakistan’s most talented game developers from the country’s top studios, teaching them to create high-quality games through a dedicated 6-month program.
• Google Ads Academy: These are in-person offline hackathon workshops in Lahore and Islamabad where marketing professionals from across Pakistan’s top studios can access in-person training, focusing on app growth strategies.
• Build with AI and Cloud AI Study Jams: Developers can also deepen their expertise through hands-on AI and Cloud training. To date, more than 9,300 developers have been trained under this program.

These programs build on existing initiatives by Google to support developers in Pakistan, including Google App Academy, which has reached over 800 participants to date. These online workshops for marketing professionals provide in-depth knowledge on critical marketing topics maximizing reach and profitability, and are localized in Urdu.

Additionally, Google is deepening engagement at key events like the Google Developer Conference (US), CXO meetups in APAC, and APAC’s App Summit, connecting leaders of Pakistan’s top gaming and app studios’ talent with global peers.

Google believes that success in the app industry requires a balanced, forward-thinking approach. Think Apps 2024 focused on how AI is revolutionizing game and app development and highlighted the local and regional players that have used Google’s AI solutions to create high-quality apps, achieve financial success, and build sustainable businesses.

Farhan S. Qureshi, Google’s Director for Pakistan said:

Pakistan’s app and gaming industry has a high potential for long-term future growth. Several Pakistani studios are leading the charge in mobile app development, such as Vyro.AI, Hazel Mobile, Games District, GeniTeam, and Finz Games, which are consistently generating millions of downloads daily, employing hundreds of Pakistanis, and garnering global attention.