Apple Says App Store Sales rose 50 percent in 2014

Apple said total billings from paid apps and purchases made within apps for its mobile devices rose 50 percent in 2014, from more than $10 billion in 2013.

That implies App Store sales of roughly $15 billion, making Apple’s take around $4.5 billion. Apple keeps 30 cents of every dollar that flows through the App Store. That is still a relatively small slice of Apple’s $183 billion in annual sales. But it is growing much faster: Analysts estimate that Apple’s revenue grew 10 percent in 2014. The vast majority of App Store revenue flows directly to the bottom line -- making it an increasingly meaningful contributor to Apple’s profits.

Apple released the App Store figures -- saying it paid out App Store developers more than $10 billion in 2014 -- as part of a new campaign to highlight its contribution to the US economy.