mHealth App Market By Type (Fitness, Lifestyle Management, Nutrition & Diet, Women's Health, Healthcare Providers, Disease Management) And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The mHealth app market size was valued at USD 4.19 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 44.2% over the forecast period. Mobile health, is the practice of using smartphones to keep track of one’s wellbeing. Mobile applications are anticipated to improve treatment outcomes and lifestyle while minimizing the incidence of chronic diseases. Demand for apps grew by 35% in 2015, highlighting the growing consumer interest in tracking & monitoring fitness through smartphones. Android and Apple are the two primary platforms that host majority of the apps.

With the replacement of traditional healthcare delivery models by patient-centric care model, growth in adoption of mHealth platforms is expected as an increasing number of physicians recommend using health related apps. In addition, growing penetration of smartphones is supporting growth. It is anticipated that by 2020, smartphone subscriptions would have reached 6.1 billion. This growth is mainly expected from less mature markets such as India, Egypt, Turkey, and the UAE.

U.S. mHealth apps market, by type, 2014 - 2025 (USD Million)

In addition, introduction of wearable devices from Fitbit, Apple, and Xiaomi is influencing the market positively. Growth of the market appears positive with increasing investments in wearable tech startups. These startups focus on mHealth categories such as personal safety, women's health, and hydration monitoring that promise exciting prospects for the mHealth sector.

Type Insights

mHealth applications are broadly classified into disease & treatment management and wellness management. Mobile applications offer a broad category of services that help a user manage and track different conditions. For instance, wellness management apps help track exercise and diet of a person.

Global mhealth apps market by type, 2016 (%)

In 2016, the highest demand was generated from apps related to fitness and wellness. In 2012, downloads of fitness and wellness apps ranged from 40 million to 250 million, as reported by PwC. A number of free- or cost-effective fitness apps are available in the app stores. Mashable, a media publisher, reported in 2014 that fitness applications are expected to grow 87% faster than other mHealth app.

However, it is anticipated that the demand for fitness apps will reduce as other app vendors are now shifting their focus toward areas such as women's health, diet/nutrition information, and medication reminder. Health and fitness app vendors, especially in the U.S., concentrate on developing applications that address women’s health needs, thereby boosting patient engagement rate. The women’s health segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America was identified to be the dominant segment in terms of market share. Growing demand for population health and analytics has led to increased adoption of mHealth by health planners, payers, and providers. As mobile technologies, allow monitoring and remote treatment of chronic conditions. mHealth-enabled devices allow collecting user data and later connect the results.

This data is essential to implement a successful population strategy and derive actionable insights. A connected health environment will lead to a transparent and robust healthcare infrastructure, which is the main reason leading the growth of mobile applications in North America.

Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is anticipated to register lucrative growth, owing to high demand for connected devices that make connected life a reality. Several Asian countries are adopting digital health strategies to manage healthcare delivery and ensure better outcomes. For instance, Digital India program aims to implement IT services to empower people in healthcare. These initiatives are expected to make Asia Pacific as the highest growing segment during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The mHealth apps market is undergoing a rapid transformation from the maturity phase to a growth phase wherein more vendors are considering investing in mHealth apps. In addition, increasing adoption of smart and wearable healthcare devices is expected to have a positive impact on the market. Mergers and acquisitions such as Fitbit’s acquisition of smartwatch company Pebble and increase in the number of new wearable tech startups is intensifying the competition amongst app vendors.

Some of the major market participants in the market comprise Abbott Laboratories; Johnson and Johnson; AstraZeneca PLC; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.; Novartis AG; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Merck and Co., Inc.; Pfizer, Inc.; and Sanofi.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, & country levels and provides an analysis on industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the mHealth app market on the basis of type and region:

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Fitness

  • Lifestyle Management

  • Nutrition & Diet

  • Women's Health

  • Medication Adherence

  • Healthcare Providers/ Payors

  • Disease Management

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa