The mobile developer population is increasing, according to a new study from market intelligence firm Evans Data Corp.
Evans Data's "Global Development Population and Demographics Study" revealed there are currently 21 million mobile developers worldwide. The study indicated more than half of all developers are targeting mobile, and the number of mobile developers may reach 14 million by 2020.
The study also found:
- The global developer population is around 21 million developers globally, and analysts expect that figure to reach 25 million by 2020.
- Approximately 5.9 million mobile developers said they target Android first among platforms. Comparatively, 2.8 million noted they target iOS.
- India and China are expected to lead all countries in developer growth over the next few years.
"Mobile devices are everywhere, but while most modern applications support mobile devices, not all developers are working on the client target side," Evans Data CEO Janel Garvin said in a prepared statement. "Watching the number of mobile developers move from just under 2 million 10 years ago to 12 million today just provides a reflection of the use of mobile devices today."
The rising demand for smartphones and tablets, combined with increasing mobile app revenues, will likely lead many developers to enter the mobile marketplace in the near future.
Market research firm International Data Corp (IDC) pointed out 344.7 million smartphones were shipped in the second quarter of 2016, and the worldwide smartphone market grew 0.7 percent year over year during the time frame. Moreover, IDC stated global tablet sales reached 38.7 million in the second quarter of this year.
Furthermore, business intelligence company App Annie has predicted global app store gross revenue will grow 24 percent year over year to $52 billion in 2016. App Annie has also estimated worldwide app store gross revenue will hit $102 billion by 2020, expanding at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 percent.