Android Statistics (2021)
Updated: November 15, 2021
Android is the most popular operating system in the world, with over 2.5 billion active users spanning over 190 countries.
Created by Andy Rubin as the open-source alternative to iPhone and Palm OS, Android quickly became the favourite operating system for most mobile manufacturers in the early 2010s.
With titans of the industry such as Samsung, LG, Motorola and HTC all launching phones running Android, it quickly became the most popular mobile OS, hitting over one billion active users by 2014.
As Android grew, so did Google’s control of the OS. Originally, manufacturer partners were able to customise most of the platform to their liking, however, Google has every year added more compulsory services and conditions with each year, which has ensured advantages for its own suite of apps.
Google Play has grown enormously in the past decade, reaching $38.6 billion in 2020. There were over 2.9 million apps available on the store in 2020, which were downloaded 108 billion times.
Android is the dominant platform in most countries, although it has had trouble surpassing Apple in Japan and the United States. In countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran and Turkey, it has over 85 percent market share.
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While Google has claimed more control over Android with each passing year, in China, the search giant has no control over the operating system. A host of Chinese companies operate third-party app stores on the Android platform, which account for 75 percent of all smartphone users in China.
We have collected data and statistics on Android OS. Read on below to find out more.
Android key statistics
- Android has over 2.8 billion active users, it has a global market share of 75 percent
- Android holds over 85% market share in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Turkey and Vietnam
- Over one billion Android smartphones were shipped last year
- Samsung is the largest Android smartphone manufacturer, followed by Huawei and Xiaomi
Android version market share
Google has struggled to get OEMs to update their smartphones at a quick pace, which has meant most updates rarely hit over 50 percent of Android users. Google’s 2019 update, Pie 9.0, was the first to reach over 35 percent of smartphones.
Android vendor market share
Samsung has held a lead in market share since the early days of Android and has continued to perform well, even as rivals HTC and LG have folded in recent years. Chinese manufacturers are responsible for over 55 percent of Android market share.
Android vendor market share in 2021 (%)
Android vendor market share 2015 to 2020 (%)
| Year | Samsung | Xiaomi | Huawei | Oppo | Vivo | Motorola | LG | Other |
| 2015 | 28.7 | 6.3 | 11 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 39.3 |
| 2016 | 25.7 | 9.7 | 13.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 2 | 2.3 | 28.3 |
| 2017 | 26.7 | 9 | 12.5 | 9.8 | 7.6 | 2 | 1.9 | 29.7 |
| 2018 | 25.9 | 12.3 | 18.6 | 10.7 | 9.8 | 1.8 | 2 | 17.8 |
| 2019 | 25.7 | 10.4 | 21.8 | 10.6 | 10.3 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 15.5 |
| 2020 | 28.1 | 12.2 | 17.1 | 9.9 | 8.2 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 18.6 |
Note: Market share fluctuates each quarter. Most values are an average of Q1 and Q3 of each year.
Sources: Counterpoint Research, Gartner, IDC
Android vs iOS market share
Android dominates in global market share, responsible for 71 percent of all smartphone usage in Q1 2021. Android has been falling slightly in market share in the past two years, as Apple’s iPhone 11 and 12 were both well received by customers.
Android vs iOS global market share (%)
Android vs iOS US market share (%)
Android has 38 percent market share in the United States as of Q1 2021, which has been falling ever since Q3 2019, when it had 45 percent market share. Apple has always been the most popular smartphone brand in the country.
Android vs iOS UK market share (%)
The UK has a higher percentage of iPhone users than most of Europe, which has made it one of the more competitive countries, with Android and iOS both fighting for the most market share. Apple has recently overtaken Android, with Android at 47 percent market share in Q1 2021.
Android users
Android has added more users every year since inception. Even though in more mature markets user growth has stagnated, Android has continued to grow at a remarkable rate through its popularity in developing countries. In Brazil, India, Indonesia, Turkey and Vietnam, Android has over 85 percent marketshare.
| Year | Active users |
| 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 |
Android yearly shipments
Even though Android continues to grow in active users, consumers started to buy phones at a slower rate starting in 2015. Android yearly shipments peaked in 2018, when OEM partners sold 1.33 billion units. There was a noticeable decline in 2020, which most manufacturers have tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
| Year | Yearly shipments |
| 2012 | 0.6 billion |
| 2013 | 0.8 billion |
| 2014 | 1 billion |
| 2015 | 1.2 billion |
| 2016 | 1.25 billion |
| 2017 | 1.28 billion |
| 2018 | 1.33 billion |
| 2019 | 1.3 billion |
| 2020 | 1.05 billion |
Sources: IDC, Gartner, Strategy Analytics
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The most popular Android versions of 2020
Android 10 is now the most popular version of Google’s operating system for mobile devices, according to statistics from StatCounter.
Initially launched back in September 2019 for Google Pixel smartphones, it had surpassed Android 9.0 Pie by August 2019.
As of November 2020, the latest version of the Android OS was running on nearly half of all Android smartphones and tablets.
This was likely because it had rolled out to more Android-based smartphones throughout the year.
The uptake in new Android versions is slower than with Apple’s iOS, because the operating system is supported by a myriad of smartphone manufacturers – including Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, Nokia, Sony, Oppo, Vivo.
Because of the vast differences in hardware between their devices and the fact that each manufacturer layers its own interface on top of the OS, it takes time to develop and adapt the OS version according to the right specifications.
By contrast, Apple is able to launch a new version of iOS on supported devices simultaneously.
Big jump for Android 10
From a small share of just 0.96% in November 2019, Android 10 climbed to 40.35% of the market by November 2020.
Second-placed Android 9.0 Pie initially rose to a high of 41.9% by December 2019 and then nearly lost half of its share in subsequent months – dropping to 22.59%.
All older versions of Android also declined and together accounted for less than 40% of total users by November 2020.
Of these, 8.1 Oreo was the most popular, with just under 10% of the market.
The tables below show the market share of the most popular Android OS versions on smartphones and tablets as of November 2020, while the graph underneath indicates how their market share changed over the course of 2020.
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