China leads global software development with 9.4 million developers

China's software developers have exceeded 9.4 million, according to China Media Group, based on data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

This number accounts for approximately one-third of the global total, making China the largest software developer base in the world, says Li Xiaodong, Vice President of the Internet Society of China and Director of the Fuxi Institution.

"China's proportion of software developers globally surpasses its share of internet users, demonstrating the strength of our digital talent base and its pivotal role in driving the future of the digital economy," Li said.

China's contributions to open-source ecosystems are also making waves. A report by the Cloud Computing Standards and Open Source Promotion Committee under the China Communications Standards Association reveals that Chinese projects now account for 17 percent of global open-source software, ranking China second worldwide.

Open source refers to software whose source code is publicly available. Under the license agreement, anyone can use, modify, and redistribute the source code.

Currently, open source spans nearly all aspects of software development, with 97 percent of software developers and 99 percent of companies worldwide using open-source software.

HarmonyOS, or Hongmeng in Chinese, is one of the open-source operating systems. It is designed for various devices and scenarios, including smart screens, tablets, wearables, and cars. It was first launched in August 2019.

According to MIIT’s data, more than 70 organizations have joined the HarmonyOS ecosystem, with over 8,100 individuals contributing to the code.

"China has become the second-largest country in terms of open-source participants, with the fastest growth rate in the world. The number of devices using HarmonyOS has exceeded one billion," said Xie Shaofeng, chief engineer with the ministry.

"As China’s contributions to open-source align with its proportion of global internet users and developers, its global influence and technological innovation will continue to rise, delivering greater rewards while adhering to the open spirit of the internet," said Li.