This week the International Data Corporation (IDC (News - Alert)), a premier global provider of market intelligence covering everything in information and communications technology (ICT) markets, released its new estimates for the worldwide software developer and ICT-skilled worker population. Featured in this document, Doc #244709, “is a bottom-up, country-by-country [as well as region-by-region] analysis of the number of professional and  hobbyist software developers and ICT–skilled workers in the world at the start of 2014,” explained Al Hilwa, who serves as Program Director for IDC's Application Development Software research.

In particular, Hilwa points out that tracking the number of hobbyist is a new entry in the report that now also considers the number of students or workers who develops software outside their primary work occupation.

Within the document are plenty of tables and figures that highlight the situation that currently exists and give insights on the future outlook. Of course, a comparison with the previous year’s figures is also available. The report is available to companies that subscribe to IDC's services, but there is a synopsis of key discoveries available at the firm’s website that discloses selected points from the 2014 report.

The following items are calculations conducted by research firm IDC:

“IDC estimates there are almost 29 million ICT-skilled workers in the world as we enter 2014, including 11 million professional developers,” Hilwa disclosed. Of that number, 18.5 million are software developers; 18 million are operations and management skilled workers and 7.5 million are hobbyists.

As per IDC's analysis, it shows that the U.S. accounts for 19 percent of software developers (both professional and hobbyists), followed by China with 10 percent, and India with 9.8 percent. As for the number of ICT-skilled workers, the U.S. accounts for 22 percent of the ICT-skilled population worldwide, followed by India with 10.4 percent and China at 7.6 percent.

The majority of all ICT-skilled workers in the world comes from the Asia-Pacific region which accounts for 36 percent, followed by the Americas with 33 percent and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 31 percent. Asia-Pacific also accounts for 37 percent of the professional developers in the world, followed by the Americas with 33 percent and EMEA at 30 percent. Yet, when it comes to hobbyists, EMEA leads with 39 percent, followed by Asia-Pacific with 34 percent and the Americas at 27 percent.

According to Al Hilwa and his comprehensive coverage on behalf of IDC, “the numbers of both developers and ICT-skilled workers are expected to grow over the next few years, but shifts in how IT is being delivered through cloud services [where it favors] growth in developers over other ICT-skilled workers.” He added, however, that the number of hobbyist developers is on the rise thanks to the boost by the mobile revolution and emerging app economy.

According to Hilwa, the 2014 IDC report is apt for many software and IT services providers that need to make decisions on resource allocation and investments in the upcoming year. As this year’s study includes new figures and estimates that were previously not provided by IDC, the report can prove even more useful in giving the level of detail necessary for fine-tuned decisions.

More of the detailed analysis of the IDC report can be learned by visiting the IDC website. The full 30-page report, which comes at a hefty price ($ 5,800.00 to purchase the document), includes estimates for three geographic regions and for ninety of the most developed countries in the world, which is representing 97 percent of the marketplace.