Sweden is the most active market for Android downloads with an average of five downloads per smartphone user per month, according to mobile market research group research2guidance. The Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Switzerland markets are close behind with an average of four apps per user per month. The US only averages two downloads per user per month but remains the largest market in terms of total Android app downloads, with more than 50 percent of the market share.

research2guidance suggests that the markets with the higher number of downloads per month are more open to new apps and have a higher growth potential. The rate of total app downloads is also likely to increase in these markets with less marketing effort than markets with fewer downloads per user.

research2guidance has identified four different types of market depending on number of downloads per smartphone user and the level of smartphone penetration. Markets with relatively high growth potential have relatively high downloads per user per month but low Android smartphone penetration. ‘Cash cow’ markets have high Android penetration with high numbers of app downloads per user per month.

Highly saturated markets have high Android smartphone penetration but a low number of app downloads per user per month while ‘very high growth potential markets’ or ‘resistant to change’ markets have similar characteristics but are dependent on the impact of societal factors.