55 software development statistics on the latest trends

Engineers develop software that makes our lives easier. Their process is quite involved as they have to focus on many areas such as front-end and back-end functionality and user experience (UX). The software development life cycle controls the entire process from user requirements to final deployment and maintenance.

As more and more businesses go digital, the need for software development continues to increase.Several new technologies, such as No-code development platformhelping engineers avoid hardcoding applications and use drag-and-drop builders to create their vision.

All of this has led to rapid innovation in the software development industry. Here are some statistics to help you keep up.

Software Development Trends and Facts

Software development powers everything from smartphones to complex enterprise systems. The statistics below illustrate the wealth of new opportunities in this industry.

• By the end of 2024, the number of software engineers worldwide is expected to reach $28.7 million, an increase of 3.2 million people in just 4 years.
• The United States has nearly 4.3 million software developers.

• By 2024, the IT industry is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%.
• Experts predict that the software development market will reach US$1.3 million by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.54% from 2020 to 2027.
• India leads the world in IT outsourcing. In 2023, its market revenue was US$585.57 billion.
• About 85% of development teams use different programming languages ​​on their projects.
• 90% of software development teams use functional testing as their primary testing technique.
• In 2021, the average annual base salary for software developers in the United States is approximately $120,730. This position ranks among the 25 highest paying jobs. This is the #1 position among technology jobs.
• The number of students taking software development courses worldwide has increased by 320% in the past decade.
• Companies consider some key factors when recruiting new software developers. 40.7% of them look for candidates who are willing to learn new things. 38.6% and 34.4% seek a good cultural fit and strong technical skills respectively.
• By 2024, software companies will invest heavily in marketing.
• The shift to cloud services will be huge, reaching $55.9 trillion by 2030.
• StackOverflow is the most popular online community for software developers. It generates over $50 million in revenue annually and remains the most trusted online resource for developers, even with the rise of new tools like ChatGPT. The United States accounts for the majority of StackOverflow users; 20% of the site’s traffic comes from there.
• 56% of developers prefer blockchain technology to any other method.

Software Development Industry Statistics

Software development has evolved with developments such as cloud computing and advances in artificial intelligence. Here are some recent insights into the industry itself. Explore different opportunities in the industry.

• As of 2023, cloud computing will account for more than 50% of global IT spending.
• More than 85% of enterprises use customized software solutions to improve operations.
• The developer community is made up of 91% male developers and nearly 7% female developers.
• Software applications can reduce operating costs by 47%.
• From 2022 to 2032, software developers will grow at a rate of 25% every year.

• 75% of young people believe it is important to understand software development.
• 60% of software developers are fully remote.
• Investment in software startups will reach $120 billion in 2022, a record high.
• By 2025, there will be more than 40 million Internet of Things (IoT) devices worldwide, all of which will rely on complex software to function seamlessly.
• Companies spend 63% of their software development budgets on design and new development costs.

Software Development Method Statistics

Enterprise use agile, Fallscrum and Kanban methodology in its development. These methods guide the processes, people, tools, and technologies involved in developing projects. Let’s see how developers use these methods and what their preferences are.

• 68% of companies use some form of agile methods in their development process.
• Although new technologies are available, 22% of legacy systems primarily use the waterfall model.
• The success rate of agile methods is 64% and the success rate of waterfall methods is 49%.
• Java remains popular with 58% of large companies that use it as their primary language.
• 63.6% of professional developers worldwide use Javascript.
• 72% of startups use Python for data science and web development applications.
• Users found that 34% of project failures were due to incorrect programming language or tool set selection.
• 40% of companies have invested in dedicated agile training programs for their teams. 50% of agile teams have implemented continuous delivery tools and practices into their workflows.

• Scrum teams typically run two-week sprints. 87% of these teams successfully created a product increment after each sprint.
• 60% of banking institutions maintain legacy systems written in Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL).
• Adopting agile methods significantly improved project uncertainty management for 74% of developers.
• Projects using waterfall methods tend to take 20% longer than projects using agile methods.
• 29% of teams mixed practices from Scrum and Kanban methodologies to create a tailored approach.
• Small teams of six or fewer members showed a 78% preference for agile methods. In contrast, large teams of more than 20 people are evenly distributed between Agile and Waterfall.

The Importance of Quality Assurance and Testing

Quality assurance (QA) and testing processes are critical to software development. These statistics explore the current state of the industry.

• 70% of organizations recognize the critical role of QA and testing in handling business disruptions.
• 56% of defects in the software development life cycle (SDLC) come from the design phase.
• 90% of software development teams use functional testing as a primary technique.

• Over the past decade, the adoption rate of automated testing has grown by 85%.
• 47% of enterprises use open source tools for their testing process.
• 30% of QA professionals use Selenium, the most popular testing tool.
• QA and testing typically account for 26% of software development budgets.
• Only 60% of projects fully adhere to the SDLC phase, which can lead to inefficiencies.
• 22% of software projects fail due to poorly defined requirements.
• The design phase usually takes up 30% of the project time, while the testing phase takes up 25%.
• 48% of software defects originate from errors in the requirements analysis phase.
• Inefficient coding practices discovered during the implementation phase can reduce software performance by up to 70%.
• Regular feedback during the verification phase can reduce post-release defects by up to 45%.
• 82% of agile teams use continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools and pipelines to ensure consistency and quality.

Hone the right skills

Software development continues to adapt to new technologies and trends, making it one of the most popular and well-paid positions.On average, software developers in the United States earn approximately $129,200 per year.

Whether it’s development, testing or user experience design, with the right skills, you can make the most of opportunities. Get familiar with and gain competency in low-code and no-code platforms so you can thrive in the world of software development.

Want to explore more statistics?look now The current state of low-code development platforms.