German mobile gamers spent €2.9 billion in 2023, 98% via in-app purchases
| Date | Type | Companies Involved | Key Datapoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2024 | report | Game – the German Games Industry Association | €2.9 billion |
- Last year's game-related mobile revenue in Germany came overwhelmingly from in-app purchases
- 24.6 million Germans played mobile games last year
Consumer spending in mobile games totalled €2.9 billion in Germany last year, up by 4% year-on-year and almost doubling since 2018’s €1.49 billion.
The German Games Industry Association (Game) released these figures based on data.ai findings, and noted that €2.885 billion, or 98% of last year’s mobile game-related revenue, pertained to in-app purchases.
Meanwhile, €43 million (around 1% of revenue) came from online gaming services and €5 million (less than 1%) came from individual, upfront mobile game sales.
Ready to play
Game noted that 24.6 million Germans played mobile games last year, up from 24.3 million in 2022. Of those 24.6 million people, 52% were women and the average mobile gamer’s age was 40.
"Games apps for smartphones and tablets are very popular among Germans. Although we’ve been witnessing the unstoppable rise of the smartphone for almost a decade and a half, this is still an area of the game market that continues to grow. Mobile games often attract people with little or no experience of playing video games," said Game managing director Felix Falk.
"The mobile gaming market has grown hugely over recent years: alongside classic casual games for spare moments, complex games and even esports titles are now also firmly established. This variety is unique and one of the strengths of games apps."
Germany’s video games market grew more broadly last year too, having generated €9.97 billion across hardware, services, and games themselves. In-app purchases, game console sales and accessories were the leading drivers of a 6% growth rate in 2023, up from only a 1% increase in 2022.
On the other hand, video game PCs and laptops saw "clear declines in some areas".
A report by Ipsos for Video Games Europe found that 19% of European children spending on mobile games are based in Germany - second only to the UK.
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