40+ Software Development Statistics 2024 That Will Stun You

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Innovation has to increase to keep up with rapid economic digitization, and software development is one area that can cater to this need. With emerging technologies, software development has advanced, birthing an industry with a market valued at over $390 billion as of 2020 data. According to estimates, 2024 will see a global population of 28.7 million software developers.

Software and developers demand keeps rising as more and more people and businesses go digital. As this demand continues to rise, the software development industry and market keep expanding. In light of this revolution, these software development statistics will help us see how much this industry has grown over the years across the globe.

Key Software Development Statistics

1. The population of people taking software development as a career worldwide has gone uphill, reaching 26.9 million, with an increase of 3.2 million in the last four years. Given this proliferation, experts have estimated it will hit 28.7 million by 2024. 
2. The United States alone is home to 4.3 million developers.
3. The software development market cap is consistently rising and is projected to reach $1.03 trillion by 2027. Such growth will reflect a CAGR of 25.54% from what was recorded in 2020. Moreover, we expect at least a 5% increase in CAGR before 2024 ends. 
4. About 84.7% of software developments focus on enterprise applications. 53.6% are on business automation, while 38.5% are on E-commerce.
5. Up to 54% of IT engineers are estimated to be more productive while working from home. The trend could change in 2024 as initiatives for office culture are gradually settling back.
6. The employment rate of IT developers in the US is estimated to see a 22% rise by 2029.
7. JavaScript is the most-used programming language globally. About 65.82% of software creators prefer using it. 
8. Professionals in the industry earn an average of $107,090 yearly.
9. Developing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in 2023 costs businesses about $100,000.
10. Costs of handling software development projects fall between $3,000 and $150,000.

Software Development Market Statistics

1. Up to 84.7% of software companies specialize in enterprise app development for customers.

2. 15.4% of firms offer CRM software solutions.

3. About 38.5% of developers undertake back-end and front-end development projects on eCommerce.

4. More than half of IT entities (53.9%) are exclusively on business automation projects. This value could increase in 2024 as demands grow.

5. About 7.7% of IT service providers help their clients with software aspects such as maintenance, management, and creation of educational platforms.

6. 65% of the global IT outsourcing goes to India. The country ranks as the largest destination for IT projects, having the most population.

Software Developer Demographic Statistics

7. 39.8 years is the average age of IT developers in the United States. However, the global average age is between 25 and 34 years, with this age class constituting 39.52% of the overall developers population. The 18-24 age range represents 25.47%, while the 45-54 age range is 6.64%. Also, the 55-64 age class is about 2.21%. Surprisingly, about 6.52% of professionals in the field are under 18.

8. Up to 54.2% of software creators in the United States are white.

9. Washington state has the highest earnings for software engineers in the US, at $105,406 yearly. The state also has more IT professionals (about 6.42%) than others in the country.

10. One of every four (25%) software developers has a computer science or computer engineering degree.

11. The male gender dominates the software development industry, representing 91.88%. Based on the gender imbalance, the minority consists of 5.17% of women and 1.67% of non-binary, genderqueer, or non-conforming.

12. About 29% of developers globally have experience in coding between 5 to 9 years. 2% of the personnel have spent less than a year in the field, 19% have one to four years, and 0.34% have more than 50 years of experience.

13. Up to 24% of businesses worldwide outsource software development. The tech outsourcing industry recorded massive growth in 2022, hitting spending of over $4.4 trillion. Outsourcing your developer teams has its benefits, which include access to the best talent and IT skills, cost savings, increased efficiency, and timely delivery of projects.

Software Development Tools And Tech Stats

14. Node.js is the developers’ most preferred web framework (47.12%) worldwide. React.js comes second at 42.62%, jQuery at 28.57%, Express at 22.99%, and Angular at 20.39%.

15. The most preferred tech programming language is Javascript, with up to 65% global usage. HTML/CSS followed, closing at 55.08%, SQL at 49.43%, Python at 48.07%, and TypeScript at 34.83%.

16. About 77% of IT professionals would like to use PHP if possible.

17. JIRA is the most preferred option in software project management tools. Up to 39.03% of developers worldwide use it. 

18. Up to 61.5% of IT teams prefer the Agile method for development. The Scrum and Waterfall methods have 23.1% and 9.6% usage, respectively. Notably, agile methodologies have seen more demands in the field with effective solutions for project management. Atlassian, which comprises Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket, has up to 18.24% of the market share. 

19. Selenium is at the top for software testing with 38.5% global preference. 30.8% use JMeter, while 23.1% choose Agile Load.

20. In 2022, 61% of developers like to use Windows, indicating its position as the most popular software environment. MacOS took the second place with about 46% preference, while Linux followed with 45% usage.

21. Android took the lead in the development market with an 87% share in 2021. With 60% of the market share, iOS followed in the ranking.

22. Microsoft’s Visual Studio is the top programming tool, with 46.20% usage.

Time and Costs of Software Development Stats

23. Costs of designs and new developments amount to 63% of overall software development allocations in companies.  

24. The complete construction of 23% of software-based projects costs over $60,000. Development costs generally range between $3,000 and $150,000. However, a complex design could cost about $1 million.

25. About 17.8% of entities are satisfied with delivered tech jobs. This reflects low satisfaction levels for IT outsourced projects.

26. Up to 25% of corporate businesses choose to outsource services for their software demands. This approach offers access to a wide range of experts, reduces costs, and ensures a faster delivery period.

27. Software project maintenance takes an average of 15% to 20% of the initial development cost.

28. On average, project development lasts four and a half months, costing about $36,000. 7.7% of the developers could complete a basic project in less than two months. 

29. About 46.20% of software companies offer basic development below $20,000.

Software Development Trends And Facts

30. The number of software engineers will reach 28.7 million worldwide in 2024.

31. The population of software personnel is expected to record a growth rate of 22% by 2029.

32. About 40.7% of HR managers indicate that willingness to learn is the key criterion for new hires. However, 38.6% seek people with cultural fit, while 34.4% focus on technical evaluation for recruits.

33. With the most joyful professionals, the gaming industry ranks the most in job satisfaction, with 43.5% of the global population. 

34. 34% of software professionals fear they could lose their jobs to automation within the next three years. Their assumptions are based on the rapid changes and emergence of new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Bearing that in mind, 78% of developers declare their readiness to try new skills if needed.

35. Artificial intelligence (AI) in software is estimated to generate $126 billion in revenue by the end of 2025. AI’s place is expanding in the industry, from design to deployment. Moreover, it promotes the software development life cycle (SDLC).

36. In 2024, software marketing is estimated to gather 28% of investment attention after IT security at 32% interest.

37. Shift to cloud services is expected to raise $55.9 trillion by 2030. As of 2022, it has grown to more than $1.3 trillion, influencing the overall software enterprise industry.

38. StackOverflow is the most reputable online community for developers. Due to its growing popularity in the industry, it boasts over $50 million in revenue yearly. Despite the rising popularity of ChatGPT, StackOverflow still maintains its stance as the most trusted online community. According to global regional ratings, the United States accounts for 20% of the website’s traffic.

39. Blockchain technology has up to 56% interest in the software industry.

Software Development Statistics Based on Regions

40. Asia Emerged as the Country With the Most Application Developers Worldwide. The Continent Houses About 32.9% of the World’s Developer Population.

According to the global ranking, Asia remains the home for most cellular technology and has the highest demand for application developers. These developers are responsible for writing software programs for mobile operating systems for Android, iOS, and other device categories. Regarding the developer population, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest number, increasing yearly. The Latin America region trails closely behind in this trend.

41. Europe is Another Continent With a Massive Number of Developers, About 6.1 Million, Representing 22% of the Global Developers’ Population.

Europe is among the regions with numerous IT personnel. According to a survey in 2023, up to 6.1 million software developers reside in Europe, which boasts an impressive market value of over $146.7 billion. Germany stands as the country with the most IT developers (up to 902,000) in Europe. Also, it has the highest estimated revenue from software development. The distribution of the leading European countries with the highest number of developers is below.

• Germany has 902,000 developers and accounts for $88.5 billion in revenue.
• The United Kingdom comprises about 850,000 professionals in the tech industry and has a revenue of $65.95 billion.
• France ranks third with up to 534,000 IT personnel and $22.55 billion in revenue.

42. The United States Holds 33% of the World’s Tech Market.

As the most prominent global market in the software industry, the US has a 33% share. This represents over $1.6 trillion of the total global market share.

43. China has Attained a $1.31 Trillion Market Size in the Software Industry.

With over 7 million IT professionals, China is among the regions with the fastest growth rate in the field. As of 2023, the country’s market size was over $1.3 trillion. With a growth rate of 11.68%, the market is estimated to reach $61.24 billion by 2028. Moreover, China has proven its supremacy in enterprise software with more than 151,000 active companies. The country is expected to see more spikes in the industry as demands keep soaring.

44. India has the Highest Percentage of IT Outsourcing Destinations, Representing 65% Globally.

With many Information Technology professionals, India leads outsourced IT works, contributing up to 65% worldwide. Also, the south-Asian country boasts over $585.57 billion as revenue in the industry. Some IT outsourced services in India include the development of mobile applications, web, custom software, quality assurance and testing, and others. The US accounts for up to 62% of Indian IT outsourcing, followed by the UK at 17%. Also, a survey estimated that India would overtake the US, with the highest number of software developers, by the end of 2024.

45. In the Philippines, the Average Salary of Software Developers Amounts to Php 365,125 Yearly.

Professionals with up to 20 years of experience and above could earn Php 2 million annually. However, beginners with just a year of practice in the field make about Php 261,000.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the software industry in 2024 is growing fast. This growth is fueled by rising global demand for digital solutions. This expansion is made possible by global teams and the use of efficient, scalable technology. Teams have also widely adopted cloud computing, AI, and ML.

But, cybersecurity is still a big concern. It has caused major investments in securing apps and data. Agile methods, DevOps, and automation tools keep streamlining development workflows. Open-source collaboration drives innovation. Ethical concerns are gaining prominence. They cover data privacy and algorithmic bias. This is happening as technology spreads into every part of society.

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