Asia Pacific’s mobile sector added US$950 B to GDP in 2024: GSMA

Mobile technologies and services added US$950 B to Asia Pacific’s economy in 2024 – equivalent to 6.1% of regional GDP – according to the Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2025 report recently released by the GSMA. Unveiled at the GSMA’s Digital Nation Summit Singapore 2025, the report forecasts this contribution will rise to US$1.4 T by 2030 as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI continue to accelerate digital transformation across the region.

Source: GSMA infographic. Key numbers for the mobile economy in
Asia Pacific in 2025. 

Beyond direct economic impact, the mobile ecosystem supported around 17 million jobs last year (11 million directly and a further 6 million in adjacent industries), and generated more than US$90 B in public funding, excluding spectrum and regulatory fees. Operators invested nearly US$220 B in 5G networks between 2019 and 2024, with a further US$254 B committed through to 2030.

However, the study cautioned that rising spectrum costs and investment gaps – particularly in rural and emerging markets – could slow progress unless governments and industry act together to create more enabling conditions for network expansion.

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the GSMA commented: “Mobile connectivity is the oxygen of Asia Pacific’s digital transformation – driving economic growth, innovation and inclusion. Yet our findings sound clear alarms: spectrum charges have tripled over the last decade, and over 700 million people remain offline. To sustain momentum, we need decisive action – affordable spectrum, smarter financing and collective action to tackle scams and cyberthreats.”

The report explores the trends shaping Asia Pacific’s collective digital future, including the push to monetise 5G, the emergence of a ‘scam economy’ that siphoned over US$1 T from consumers globally in 2024, and the widening cybersecurity threat landscape as 5G and IoT expand the attack surface.

To tackle these threats, operators are deploying AI-driven fraud detection systems, adopting Zero Trust architectures, and forming cross-sector taskforces. One such initiative is the GSMA-led Asia Pacific Cross-Sector Anti-Scam Taskforce (ACAST), launched to unite mobile operators and digital platforms across 16 countries in a collaborative fight against scams through intelligence sharing, public awareness and technical innovation.

GSMA Open Gateway – a global initiative to standardise network APIs – is also playing a growing role in the fight against fraud, enabling developers and enterprises to embed advanced identity and security features directly into digital services. These efforts are essential to protect users, strengthen trust, and safeguard the full potential of the digital economy.

From a policy perspective, Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2025 stressed that bridging the investment gap, implementing sustainable spectrum strategies and fostering innovation-friendly regulation will be crucial to realising the region’s digital ambitions. Fiscal incentives, targeted public funding and infrastructure-sharing can accelerate rollouts in underserved areas, while flexible, technology-neutral regulation will allow new services to flourish without compromising consumer protections. Clear spectrum roadmaps – especially in low- and mid-bands – combined with sustainable pricing models will be essential for continued 5G rollout and laying the foundation for 6G.

Other research highlights include:

- Economic impact: US$950 B was added to regional GDP via the mobile economy in 2024; this is forecast to reach US$1.4 T by 2030.

- Share of GDP: the mobile economy accounted for 6.1% of GDP in 2024; this is projected to rise to 6.6% in 2030.

- Employment: the mobile economy supported 11 M jobs directly and another 6 M jobs indirectly in 2024.

- Public revenues: Over US$90 B generated for governments in 2024 (excluding spectrum and regulatory fees).

- 5G adoption: 18% of mobile connections are on 5G in 2024; this is expected to rise to 50% by 2030.

- Investment: Operators committed US$220 B on 5G networks from 2019–2024; a further US$254 B is planned through 2030.

- Connectivity gap: Asia–Pacific has the ninth-largest mobile usage gap globally; 55 million Filipinos alone remain offline, and scam-related losses are escalating across the region.

- Rising costs: Spectrum cost-to-revenue ratios have increased from 3% in 2014 to 9% in 2023, limiting funds available for further expansion.

Download The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2025 report as well as regional reports for China, MENA and Eurasia at https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-economy/asiapacific/