App Annie will now publish China Android app usage metrics, which, together with its China iOS numbers, the firm claims can provide “extensive data visibility into the world’s largest mobile app economy.”

China’s app economy was becoming too important for App Annie to ignore these stats, it seems. The firm said Chinese consumers and advertisers spent $790 billion via mobile platforms in 2016 and predicts that by 2021 the number will increase to $2.59 trillion.

It noted that the massive install base of Android devices in China, more than 6 times larger than iOS, makes Android critical to measure and capitalise on.

However, China had posed a challenge for the mobile industry as the market is fragmented into app stores of different sizes and consumer bases, which made access to “digestible, unbiased, and reliable data extremely difficult”.

Now, though, China Android app usage metrics for more than 5,000 apps will be added to the App Annie platform, including the percentage of users who used an app during a certain period, as well as monthly and weekly active users, with daily active users expected to be added soon.

“We are very impressed by the impact the Chinese market has had on the mobile space and are devoted to providing the most reliable data into this market for our customers,” says Bertrand Schmitt, CEO and co-founder of App Annie.

“China is a key leader in mobile and digital trends, and having independent and trustworthy insights into its mobile consumers is critical for businesses to build successful app strategies – both in China and internationally,” he added.

Findings
App Annie has already found some interesting data about the Chinese market. For instance, China’s leading apps hold a “commanding presence” in global rankings: WeChat by Tencent was the third most used app globally by combined monthly active users on Android phone and iPhone, while four of the top five most played games in August came from China.

What’s more, China already has the largest mobile gaming market in the world by active users, and it is only continuing its rapid growth over time.

“It is hard to overstate the importance of the major social apps (especially WeChat) to the mobile ecosystem in China. For foreign app publishers seeking to expand into China, a thorough data-driven understanding of these apps and its users is vital to a successful expansion strategy,” the firm said in a blog post.