International Data Corporation (IDC) today issued new estimates for the worldwide software developer and ICT-skilled worker population. Heading into 2014, IDC believes there are 18.5 million software developers in the world, of which 11 million are professional software developers and 7.5 million are hobbyist developers. IDC also believes that there are 29 million ICT-skilled workers in the world, including professional software developers and 18 million operations and management skilled workers.
"IDC's country-by-country analysis of 90 of the most developed countries in the world, representing 97% of the world's GDP, is unique in the industry as it provides the only bottom-up model of the world's developer and ICT-skilled workers," said Al Hilwa, Program Director, Application Development Software at IDC.
IDC's analysis shows that the United States accounts for 19% of worldwide software developers, both professional and hobbyists, followed by China with 10% and India with 9.8%. The United States also accounts for 22% of worldwide ICT-skilled workers, followed by India with 10.4% and China with 7.6%.
"While the numbers of both developers and ICT-skilled workers are expected to grow over the next few years, shifts in how IT is being delivered through cloud services will favor the growth in developers over other ICT-skilled workers," says Hilwa.
Additionally, the population of hobbyist developers is rapidly changing and the growth of this segment is being boosted by the mobile revolution.
The IDC report, 2014 Worldwide Software Developer and ICT-Skilled Worker Estimates (IDC #244709), offers a detailed analysis of the number of professional and hobbyist developers and ICT operations and management skilled workers worldwide as of 2014. This report represents the first time that IDC has analyzed and estimated the hobbyist developer population, which IDC defines broadly as students or workers who engaged in regular development activity outside of the context of their primary occupation.
"IDC's country-by-country analysis of 90 of the most developed countries in the world, representing 97% of the world's GDP, is unique in the industry as it provides the only bottom-up model of the world's developer and ICT-skilled workers," said Al Hilwa, Program Director, Application Development Software at IDC.
IDC's analysis shows that the United States accounts for 19% of worldwide software developers, both professional and hobbyists, followed by China with 10% and India with 9.8%. The United States also accounts for 22% of worldwide ICT-skilled workers, followed by India with 10.4% and China with 7.6%.
"While the numbers of both developers and ICT-skilled workers are expected to grow over the next few years, shifts in how IT is being delivered through cloud services will favor the growth in developers over other ICT-skilled workers," says Hilwa.
Additionally, the population of hobbyist developers is rapidly changing and the growth of this segment is being boosted by the mobile revolution.
The IDC report, 2014 Worldwide Software Developer and ICT-Skilled Worker Estimates (IDC #244709), offers a detailed analysis of the number of professional and hobbyist developers and ICT operations and management skilled workers worldwide as of 2014. This report represents the first time that IDC has analyzed and estimated the hobbyist developer population, which IDC defines broadly as students or workers who engaged in regular development activity outside of the context of their primary occupation.
