Linux belongs to a family of Unix operating systems founded by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Despite being one of the oldest operating systems, Linux is still well-known and widely used by many people.
What’s more, Linux is an open-source that comes entirely for free and is similar to other famous competitors, such as Mac and Microsoft Windows.
If you want to learn more about this fantastic operating system, we have compiled a list of the most fascinating Linux statistics and facts.
Let’s dive right into it.
Top Linux Statistics: Editor’s Choice
- 52.8% of the most powerful supercomputers operated on Linux in 2020.
- 90% of public cloud workloads are run on Linux.
- Android constitutes 71.93% of the operating system market share.
- Linux makes up only 1.30% of the desktop and laptop operating system market share.
- According to 83.1% of professional developers, Linux is the most loved platform.
- 59% of Ubuntu users prefer the English language.
- In 2021, the Linux kernel counts 27.8 million lines of code.
- Linux games on Steam account for 50,361.
General Linux Facts for Beginners
How many people use Linux? What makes this operating system so unique? These are only some of the questions that easily come to mind. So, that’s why this list of stats will give you a better insight into this powerful operating system.
1. Only two out of the 25 most popular websites worldwide don’t use Linux.
Developers can make several uses of the Linux operating system. It’s important to note that 23 out of 25 most popular websites in the world run on Linux.
Linux facts revealed that giants such as Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Baidu are on top of the list of Linux users.
2. In 2021, 52.8% of the most powerful supercomputers operated on Linux.
It’s quite impressive that more than half of all supercomputers run on Linux from 2017 on.
Supercomputers are considered a significant technological breakthrough, which shows how vital Linux is in today’s digital era—and this is one of the best-known common facts about Linux.
A good 17.8% of all supercomputers work on CentOS, while only 2.4% of them work on Bullx SCS and Redhat Enterprise Linux. An additional 18% of supercomputers operating worldwide run on other operating systems.
3. About 90% of the public cloud workload is run by Linux.
Linux’s stability and strength primarily come from its supporters and open-source design. This operating system updates its central code every 10 weeks, according to Linux cloud statistics. That’s why Linux is an excellent operating system for public clouds.
4. As a Linux subcategory, Ubuntu accounts for 34.4% of its usage rate.
The percentage of websites using the operating system accounts for 37.6%. Out of that figure, Ubuntu is among the top Linux operating systems, with over 30% of people using it. Debian ranks second, with 15.8% of the total Linux usage. CentOS comes in third place, making up 9.4%.
As the same Linux server statistics show, there are less common subcategories, such as Red Hat (0.8%), Gentoo (0.5%), and Fedora (0.2%).
5. MX Linux earns the first position among the top Linux distributions in 2021.
Like in previous years, MX Linux is the most popular Linux distro for 2021. Its huge success stands in its high stability, efficiency, elegant desktop, and easy learning curve are the main reasons why this distro is on top of the list. Moreover, MX Linux is based on Debian.
According to Linux distro usage statistics, Manjaro and Linux Mint still take up the other two positions, just like in the previous year. However, Debian’s fourth place has been taken by Ubuntu.
6. At least 63 Linux distributions originate from the US.
When it comes to producing Linux distributions, Americans are the most prolific. One of the most exciting things to know about Linux is that Europe is the second region contributing to distributions after the US. Germany ranks second with 25 distributors, followed by Spain and France with 22.
7. 63% of Linux Ubuntu users have one to three CPUs.
These fascinating Linux usage statistics show that Ubuntu users have at least one CPU. Also known as the central processing unit, the CPU helps computers perform more tasks at once.
The same statistics also revealed that 27% of users have four to six CPUs, while only 8% have seven or more CPUs.
If we look at all statistics regarding operating systems, we can conclude that Linux isn’t nearly as used as Windows or Mac.
Even if it’s not frequently used as the primary operating system, Linux has many exciting functions.
8. As of January 2022, Android held 71.93% of the mobile market share.
Linux market share statistics show that Android still holds its position as the leading operating system. What’s more, Android and iOS combined can reach over 90% of the worldwide market share.
Although Linux isn’t frequently used as an operating system, Android is based on it. Considering the figures registered by Android, it’s understandable that Linux still plays a big part in the market share.
9. Linux server market share is estimated to reach $18.78 billion by 2028.
During the 2021–2028 period, these Linux usage statistics for 2022 are projected to exhibit a staggering CAGR of 19.5% Linux has seen massive growth in its market from the $5.38 billion registered in 2021.
It’s true that the impact of the pandemic has slowed down the operating system’s growth. However, the market still showed a growth rate of 17.6% in 2020.
10. Linux holds only 0.97% of the operating system market share.
Linux server market share for 2022 has registered its lowest rate of market share in December 2021—standing at 0.90%.
Although the figure is steadily growing over the past few years, Linux stats prove this operating system is way far from its competitors. Android is currently dominating the market with a 41.59% rate, followed by Windows with 31.12%. iOS comes right in third place, taking up 16.87% of the market share.
11. Linux accounted for 2.09% of the desktop PC market share in 2021.
Statistics from December 2021 indicate that the desktop market share has seen a slight increase in market share. In contrast, the desktop use of the Linux operating system for March 2020 was around 1.7%.
Linux system stats show that this figure is much more prominent than the number reported right after the pandemic started. While Linux is slowly ranking up, it is way far from the 73.72% and 15.33% reported for Windows and macOS, respectively.
12. As of October 2020, Linux accounted for 1.30% of desktop and laptop operating system share.
Be that as it may, Linux’s operating system share is pretty much consistent as of 2018 and even earlier.
In August 2020, the percentage of Linux users had the highest operating system share, standing at 2.33%. Although the figure has slightly declined by the end of the year, prospects expect Linux usage to climb up.
Linux Usage Statistics
Although Windows is among the most used operating systems out there, Linux usage is not to underestimate.
Let’s find out who prefers Linux, how it’s used, and why.
13. According to 83.1% of professional developers, Linux is the most loved platform.
The vast majority of developers and programmers prefer Linux over other operating systems—here’s why. Professionals find it much easier to customize their needs and be innovative. Moreover, this open-source operating system is entirely free to use.
In the most recent Linux user statistics, 54.1% of professionals conducted some development work on Linux.
14. Debian has more than 1,000 volunteers.
Debian is one of the oldest Linux distributors. Because of its devoted volunteers, Debian is known for being a very versatile Linux distributor. Many popular distros, such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint, are based on Debian architecture.
Therefore, it’s perfect for individuals and businesses, as they can find the most appropriate tools.
15. Around 15,600 developers have contributed to the Linux kernel since 2005.
According to the most recent Linux users statistics, almost 16,000 developers from more than 1,400 companies have been a part of the Linux kernel development. This shows that the Linux kernel is the largest collaborative project in the world of computing.
These facts reveal how dedicated many developers are. For example, Intel is one of the top companies that sponsored the development of the Linux kernel.
16. 79% of Ubuntu users have approximately 0–499 GB of disk storage.
Disk storage shows how much information can be saved on a computer. Additionally, disk statistics of Linux demonstrate that about 13% of Ubuntu users have from 500 to 2,000 GB. Only 7% of Ubuntu users have more than 2,000 GB of disk storage.
17. A whopping 59% of Ubuntu users prefer English.
In addition, the same statistics reveal that Spanish, French, and Portuguese are the second-most preferred languages by 7% of users. Chinese is favored by 4% and Russian by a mere 3%.
18. 0.4% of websites use the Red Hat Linux distribution.
Red Hat Linux facts demonstrate that a very small percentage of websites use this particular distro as an operating system, even though it’s one of the most popular ones.
The usage of Red Hat had started to decrease since October 2019, when around 0.72% of websites used it. As of April 2022, this distro has reached its lowest point, at slightly over 0.30%.
19. Fedora is the least popular distro, with only 0.1% of usage.
As demonstrated by Fedora Linux facts, this distro is not as popular compared to many others. In comparison, almost 80% of websites use Unix, while 37.6% use Linux. Moreover, Fedora’s usage keeps decreasing by the day, to the point it has reached 0.1% in 2021.
The usage of this distro has gradually increased over the first quarter of 2022 and is expected to reach even lower points.
Other Interesting Facts about Linux
You might not even believe to what extent Linux is present in our daily activities, from video games to mobile phones.
Here you can find some mind-blowing statistics about Linux and its founder, Linus Torvalds.
20. As of 2020, the Linux kernel has 27.8 million lines of code.
This is by no means one of the most unbelievable Linux operating system facts—it proves how this is the largest open-source project globally. Even though this figure might seem massive, the Linux kernel has actually been reduced.
21. The latest statistics revealed that the number of Linux games available on Steam was 50,361.
Steam is one of the most popular online game platforms belonging to the Linux system. In the US, the Steam library counts a whopping 92,196 titles across all genres. This includes DLC, mods, soundtracks, and much more.
These interesting quick facts about the Linux operating system indicate that the number of games on Steam has increased over the past years.
22. Linus Torvalds wrote only 1% of the latest Linux kernel code.
Maybe this fact might sound a little discouraging, but it’s not like Linus Torvalds is not contributing to Linux anymore.
Even though he wrote almost 100% of Linux’s first release, well-known facts about Linus Torvalds prove that the Linux creator is now busy merging and combining codes written by developers.
Linux Statistics: The Takeaway
Maybe Linux isn’t as popular as giants like Windows, iOS, or Android, but there are apparent reasons why professional developers love it so much. Although Linux might be a complicated operating system, it still offers unique features and possibilities that competitors cannot provide. Additionally, it is also much easier to customize and delete files.
As mentioned in these stats, this system includes many products such as Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Steam. So, we can say that it’s almost impossible not to encounter this relevant operating system in our everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Alexa; Backlinko; Black Down; Fortune Business Insight; Linux; Net Market Share; Omg Ubuntu; Stat Counter; Statista; Statista; Statista; Storage Craft; TecMint; Ubuntu; W3Techs; W3Techs; What Is Anything; What Is Anything