Android’s Latest Statistics 2024: How Many People Have Androids?
By Sam Nguyen
In this article, we’ll delve deep into Android’s market share and its dominance in developing countries and answer the critical question: How many people have Androids?
Key Takeaways
AnDroid’s Top insights
- Android leads globally with a 70.8% market share in Q2 2023.
- iOS dominates the U.S. market with a 56.92% share.
- Developing countries significantly boost Android’s global reach.
- Samsung is Android’s top vendor, with a 24.16% market share.
- Google Play Store offers over 2.59 million apps as of June 2023.
- 97% of Android apps are free as of July 2023.
- Android phone shipments peaked at 1.57 billion in 2022.
- Android sales have slightly declined, reaching 83.32% in 2021.
- Android offers a diverse range of devices for all budgets.
Android Statistics: Overview
Take a look at a few facts about the huge market share of Android:
- Android has a 70.8% market share, outpacing iOS’s 28.4%.
- Over 3.3 billion active users in 190+ countries use Android.
- Sales reached 1.57 billion Android devices in 2022, up from 0.98 billion in 2021.
- The Android app store offers 2.67 million apps; 96.9% are free, and 3.1% are paid.
- Android phones are targets for 97% of smartphone malware.
- Three-quarters of global smartphones run on Android.
- Samsung leads Android device manufacturing with a 34% market share, followed by Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei.
- The latest Android version, released on April 10, 2023, is ‘Android 12.0.0_r46 (SSV1.210916.062)’.
About Android
Android is an open-source operating system that utilizes Linux as its foundation. There are Android overview information:
- Launch date: 23 September 2008
- HQ: Menlo Park, California
- People: Hiroshi Lockheimer (SVP Platforms & Ecosystems), Sundar Pichai (CEO, Alphabet), Andy Rubin (Android founder)
- Business Type: Subsidiary
- Owner: Alphabet
- Industry: Mobile
How Many People Use Android?
When pondering the question of how many Android users in the world, you might be astounded by the answer. According to estimates, Android is set to finish 2023 with approximately 3.6 billion users worldwide. This represents an impressive growth of about 9% from the 3.3 billion users in 2022, amounting to an increase of nearly 300 million users in just one year.
If we flash back to 2012, Android had only 500 million users. The journey from half a billion to 3.6 billion reveals a jaw-dropping growth rate of around 620%.
The following historical data paints a vivid picture:
- 2012: 0.5 billion
- 2013: 0.7 billion
- 2014: 1 billion
- 2015: 1.4 billion
- 2016: 1.7 billion
- 2017: 2 billion
- 2018: 2.3 billion
- 2019: 2.5 billion
- 2020: 2.8 billion
- 2021: 3 billion
- 2022: 3.3 billion
- 2023: An estimated 3.6 billion (Based on regression analysis data)
Source: Business of Apps
What Percentage Of Phones Use Android?
The global smartphone landscape tells an interesting tale, especially when you look at the percentage of Android users. According to the latest stats from Statcounter, the global percentage of phones that use Android looks like this:
- Android: 71.74%
- iOS: 27.63%
- Samsung: 0.35%
- Unknown: 0.12%
- KaiOS: 0.11%
- Windows: 0.02%
Source: Stats counter
You might find it surprising, but Android hasn’t always held the lion’s share. There was a time, based on stats spanning the last 15 years when iOS had a larger global share. However, Android began filling the void as other mobile platforms like Symbian and BlackBerry faded away, eventually claiming the top spot.
Android Market Share
The stage is set, and once again, Android steals the show with its commanding market presence. As of Q2 2023, Android holds a 70.8% market share worldwide, leaving Apple’s iOS with 28.4%.
While growth has somewhat plateaued in mature markets, Android has made impressive strides in developing nations. Specifically, Android enjoys over 85% market share in countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Vietnam.
To offer a clearer perspective, here are the Android market share percentages in recent times:
| Year | Android |
| Q2 2023 | 70.8% |
| Q1 2023 | 71.44% |
| Q4 2022 | 71.8% |
| Q3 2022 | 71.64% |
| Q2 2022 | 71.72% |
| Q1 2022 | 70.78% |
| Q4 2021 | 70.62% |
| Q3 2021 | 72.47% |
| Q2 2021 | 72.58% |
| Q1 2021 | 71.88% |
| Q4 2020 | 72.22% |
| Q3 2020 | 74.43% |
| Q2 2020 | 72.38% |
| Q1 2020 | 73.27% |
| Q4 2019 | 75.56% |
| Q3 2019 | 76.18% |
| Q2 2019 | 75.52% |
| Q1 2019 | 74.66% |
Source: Statista.
Android Market Share US
While Android enjoys the lion’s share of the global mobile OS market, the picture is slightly different in the United States. Here, iOS has consistently held sway, leaving Android in the second spot. For the current year, Android’s market share in the US stands at 42.65%, while iOS leads with 56.92%.
To get a sense of Android’s positioning in the U.S. market over the last year, consider these monthly statistics:
| Time | Market Share |
| August 2023 | 42.65% |
| July 2023 | 42.49% |
| June 2023 | 42.15% |
| May 2023 | 37.6% |
| April 2023 | 39.63% |
| March 2023 | 42.75% |
| February 2023 | 42.61% |
| January 2023 | 41.85% |
| December 2022 | 43.75% |
| November 2022 | 43.9% |
| October 2022 | 45.2% |
| September 2022 | 44.24% |
| August 2022 | 42.67% |
Source: Statcounter
Android vs iOS Market Share
Android and iOS are the two titans of the mobile OS world. They’ve been duking it out for supremacy for years, but how do they stack up against each other now? Android, globally speaking, has managed to edge out iOS for a while. As of the second quarter of 2023, Android holds a commanding 70.8% of the mobile operating system market, while iOS trails behind at 28.4%.
To gain a comprehensive understanding, let’s walk through the market shares for both Android and iOS over the past few years
| Quarter | Android | iOS |
| Q2 2023 | 70.8% | 28.4% |
| Q2 2022 | 72.1% | 27.2% |
| Q1 2022 | 71.7% | 27.5% |
| Q4 2021 | 70 % | 29.2% |
| Q3 2021 | 72.2% | 26.9% |
| Q2 2021 | 72.1% | 27% |
| Q1 2021 | 71.9% | 27.4% |
| Q4 2020 | 72.9% | 26.5% |
| Q3 2020 | 74% | 26% |
| Q2 2020 | 74% | 26% |
| Q1 2020 | 70% | 30% |
| Q4 2019 | 74% | 26% |
| Q3 2019 | 76% | 24% |
| Q2 2019 | 77% | 23% |
| Q1 2019 | 75% | 25% |
| Q4 2018 | 79% | 21% |
| Q3 2018 | 83% | 17% |
| Q2 2018 | 85% | 15% |
| Q1 2018 | 81% | 19% |
Source: Statista
Android Shipment Statistics
Android’s market presence is further illustrated by its shipping statistics. Despite experiencing a slowdown in device turnover during the mid-2010s, Android saw a significant boost in 2022, when OEM partners managed to ship a record-breaking 1.57 billion units.
A yearly overview of Android shipments:
- 2022: 1.57 billion
- 2021: 0.98 billion
- 2020: 1.05 billion
- 2019: 1.3 billion
- 2018: 1.33 billion
- 2017: 1.28 billion
- 2016: 1.25 billion
- 2015: 1.2 billion
- 2014: 1 billion
- 2013: 0.8 billion
- 2012: 0.6 billion
Source: Statista
Android Vendor Market Share
The Android market isn’t just about the OS; it’s also about the companies that bring the software to life through hardware. Samsung currently dominates the field, holding 24.16% of the market share in terms of shipments. Xiaomi has also secured a strong foothold, occupying the second spot with an 11.1% market share.
| Company | Market Share. |
| Samsung | 24.16% |
| Xiaomi | 11.1% |
| Oppo | 5.85% |
| Vivo | 5.38% |
| Huawei | 4% |
| RealMe | 3.77% |
| Motorola | 2.12% |
Source: StatCounter
Key takeaways
- Samsung leads the pack, holding almost a quarter of the Android market share.
- Xiaomi has risen to prominence, solidifying its position as a key player in the Android market.
- Lesser-known brands like Oppo and Vivo are also making their presence felt, taking up almost 6% of the market share each.
Android Apps
From a modest beginning, the Google Play Store has experienced significant growth over the years. As of June 2023, the app marketplace houses 2.59 million applications, making it a colossal ecosystem that fuels the Android platform.
| Month, Year | Number of Apps on Google Play Store |
| June 2023 | 2,597,819 |
| March 2023 | 2,673,292 |
| December 2022 | 2,694,114 |
| September 2022 | 2,683,925 |
| June 2022 | 2,654,747 |
| March 2022 | 2,591,578 |
| December 2021 | 2,605,000 |
| September 2021 | 2,783,000 |
| June 2021 | 2,886,000 |
| March 2021 | 2,980,000 |
| December 2020 | 2,950,000 |
| September 2020 | 3,040,000 |
| June 2020 | 2,960,000 |
| March 2020 | 2,870,000 |
| December 2019 | 2,800,000 |
| September 2019 | 2,800,000 |
| June 2019 | 2,700,000 |
| March 2019 | 2,600,000 |
Source: Statista.
Quick Points:
- The Play Store surpassed 1 million apps in July 2013.
- A decline in app numbers is observed from its peak, suggesting a possible curation or deletion of apps.
- As of June 2023, the Play Store is just shy of reaching 2.6 million apps.
Most Downloaded Android Apps:
- TikTok: Over 1 billion downloads
- Instagram: Nearly 70 million downloads
- Facebook: Approximately 38.5 million downloads
Top Revenue-Generating Android Apps:
- Disney+: $70.59 million
- Max: Stream HBO, TV & Movies: $50.73 million
- TikTok: $38.09 million
- Google One: $27.34 million
- Peacock TV: $25.2 million
- Twitch: $25.08 million
- Crunchyroll: $22.19 million
As of July 2023, a whopping 96.96% of all apps on the Play Store are free, making the percentage of Android users overwhelmingly inclined toward free applications.
The increasing tilt towards free apps is a trend that has been largely consistent over the past few years.
| Month, Year | Paid Apps | Free Apps |
| July 2023 | 3.04% | 96.96% |
| April 2023 | 3.1% | 96.9% |
| June 2022 | 3.2% | 96.8% |
| March 2022 | 3.3% | 96.7% |
| December 2021 | 3% | 97% |
| October 2021 | 3.1% | 96.9% |
| August 2021 | 3.1% | 96.9% |
| March 2021 | 3.3% | 96.7% |
| January 2021 | 3.3% | 96.7% |
| September 2020 | 3.5% | 96.5% |
| June 2020 | 3.6% | 96.4% |
| March 2020 | 3.7% | 96.3% |
| December 2019 | 3.8% | 96.2% |
| October 2019 | 4% | 96% |
| August 2019 | 4% | 96% |
| June 2019 | 4.4% | 95.6% |
Source: Statista.
Android Devices
In 2021, Android held an 83.32% share of smartphone sales worldwide, a small but noticeable decrease compared to the previous years. This was the second year in a row to witness a dip in Android’s sales, creating a subtle but palpable shift in the market dynamics.
Year-wise Android Market Share in Smartphone Sales:
- 2021: 83.32%
- 2020: 85.17%
- 2019: 87.4%
- 2018: 86.6%
- 2017: 85.9%
- 2016: 84.8%
Source: Statista
Despite recent setbacks, it’s worth stepping back and examining Android’s journey over the years. Starting with a meager 3.9% of the smartphone market in 2009, the “percentage of Android users” in the smartphone sales market skyrocketed to peak levels in the late 2010s. By 2019, Android accounted for an astonishing 87.4% of all smartphones sold globally.
Milestone Years for Android Sales:
- 2009: 3.9%
- 2010: 22.7%
- 2011: 46.66%
- 2012: 66.4%
- 2013: 78.5%
- 2014: 80.7%
Source: Statista
How Many People Have Androids: FAQs
Global Statistics: As of the second quarter of 2023, Android has a global market share of 70.8%.
U.S. Statistics: In the United States, Android’s market share as of August 2023 is 42.65%.
As of the second quarter of 2023, 70.8% of smartphones around the world run on the Android operating system. This figure highlights Android’s significant global presence as the leading mobile operating system, far surpassing its closest competitor, iOS.
Yes. iOS’s global market share is 28.4%, lower than Androids by 42.4%.
As of the latest data, there are approximately 3.3 billion Android smartphones and 900 million iPhones in active use globally. Combining these figures gives us around 4.2 billion smartphones in total, which implies that a substantial portion of the world’s population is using either an Android or an iPhone.
Various reports and social media posts suggest that he has used an iPhone, but it’s not clear if that remains the case.
Android’s global popularity stems from its open-source nature, affordability, and customization options. Its flexibility allows for a wide range of devices, making it accessible to users with various budgets. Deep integration of Google services and a vast app ecosystem on the Google Play Store add to its appeal. These features, coupled with strong performance capabilities and user-friendly interfaces, make Android especially popular in both developed and emerging markets.
How Many People Have Androids: Conclusion (2023)
From Android’s significant market share globally to its extensive app ecosystem, it’s clear that billions of people rely on Android smartphones. Despite some market fluctuations, Android remains a leading player in the mobile industry, answering the question of just how many people have Androids worldwide.
