Operating systems - statistics & facts

As rapid digitization moves (more aspects of life online), operating systems (OS) become more complex. An operating system (OS) is the software that manages all other software and hardware on a computer, providing common services for programs and generally allowing a computer to run. Other programs, generally referred to as application programs, need an operating system in order to function. Today, almost every device - from graphical calculators, to smartphones, to personal computers - requires an operating system to function, some of which are created for specific hardware, such as gaming devices, and others that are intended to run on a wide variety of devices, such as Microsoft’s Windows.

Android leads the mobile market

Among smartphones, Google's Android and Apple's iOS are the leading mobile operating systems in the world. Android's share is estimated at about 72 percent of the market, while iOS's share sits at around 28 percent. Symbian OS, once a mobile market leader as recently as 2012, has seen its market share drop to less than one percent, while Nokia’s “Series 40” and Samsung OS have followed suit. Mobile operating systems are also an important indicator in the smartphone market as whole, reflecting shifts in handset sales. Sales of Android smartphones are expected to top 1 billion worldwide in 2023, while Apple is expected to ship around 234 million units.

Android carves out a leading share in the tablet market

Android and iOS also dominate in the global tablet market. Apple is considered a pioneer in the industry, having brought tablet devices to the consumer market and dominating the market in the early years. However, with the introduction of a wide range of competitive products, Apple iOS's market share dropped dramatically, while Android's share increased steadily. In the second quarter of 2022, around 19 million tablets worldwide were running on a version of Android, while around 15 million ran iOS. Despite its decline in market share and increasing competition from companies such as Samsung and Lenovo, Apple still remains the leading tablet vendor in the world, with Android sales split between various manufacturers.

Windows remains the top desktop OS

Microsoft’s Windows holds the greatest share of the global PC operating system market at 70 percent. Windows 10 is the most popular Windows version currently, accounting for around 69 percent of all Windows desktop PCs. Apple’s macOS, previously OS X, runs on most Apple personal and enterprise computers and occupied around 15 percent of the market as of January 2023 . The first version of OSX was released to the public in 1999, while the most recent version, macOS Ventura, released in October 2022.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Aug 7, 2023

Key insights

Global population using iOS 2022
920m
Global population using Android 2022
2.3bn
Global IT enterprise spending 2022
783bn USD
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