The popularity of Apple’s App Store has been unquestioned since it first launched in 2008. In the four-plus years since, eager users have helped the marketplace surpass 40 billion downloads—buoyed by huge numbers in 2012.

In a bit of marketing gamesmanship, Apple announced the App Store figures shortly before the opening of CES, TechCrunch reported. Apple does not attend the annual event, but always seems to come out with a bit of news around it. This year the company decided to tout its app dominance.

About half of the store’s 40 billion downloads occurred in 2012, said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, according to the news provider. Two billion of those were recorded in December alone. Other announcements by Apple included the fact there are 500 million active App Store accounts with access to 775,000 apps.

Yankee Group Principal Analyst Jason Armitage comments

“Apple is holding onto its global lead in app downloads. Yankee Group’s survey data show that a quarter of U.S. consumers used the App Store in the last quarter of 2012. Despite fierce efforts from competitors, that percentage actually inched up over the course of last year. This is a testament to the attractions of Apple’s app storefront for both developers and consumers in major markets.

Where Apple will be looking to make gains is in high-growth markets, notably China. In these critical geographies, Android and operator-owned storefronts represent serious challenges. That means real-world investments: Expect more Apple Store openings and operator deals in these markets in 2013.”