While Windows commands a colossal 71% of the global desktop landscape, the story of operating system usage in 2024 is a fascinating tale of long-held dominance, passionate niches, and the silent Linux engines powering the modern world.
Key Takeaways
- Worldwide desktop OS market share for Windows in June 2024 stood at 71.68%
- macOS held 15.42% of the global desktop OS market share in June 2024
- Linux's desktop market share worldwide reached 4.12% in June 2024 per StatCounter
- Global mobile OS market share Android 70.89% in June 2024
- iOS mobile worldwide share 28.36% June 2024 per StatCounter
- Samsung Unknown OS 0.45% mobile global June 2024
- In US desktop OS, Windows 68.4% June 2024
- macOS US desktop 24.1% June 2024 StatCounter
- Linux US desktop 2.3% June 2024
- Web servers running Linux 96.3% worldwide June 2024
- Unix-like OS 96.8% on top million websites June 2024 W3Techs
- Windows Server 1.2% on websites worldwide 2024
Windows dominates desktop usage globally, while Android leads in the mobile market.
Desktop Regional
1In US desktop OS, Windows 68.4% June 2024
Verified2macOS US desktop 24.1% June 2024 StatCounter
Verified3Linux US desktop 2.3% June 2024
Verified4Chrome OS US desktop 3.5% June 2024
Directional5UK desktop Windows 74.2% June 2024
Single source6macOS UK desktop 17.8% June 2024
Verified7Germany desktop Windows 78.9% June 2024
Verified8Linux Germany desktop 3.1% June 2024
Verified9France desktop macOS 19.4% June 2024
Directional10China desktop Windows 92.1% June 2024
Single source11India desktop Windows 89.7% June 2024 StatCounter
Verified12Brazil desktop Windows 93.4% June 2024
Verified13Australia desktop macOS 22.3% June 2024
Verified14Japan desktop Windows 85.6% June 2024
Directional15Canada desktop macOS 23.7% June 2024
Single source16Russia desktop Windows 87.2% June 2024
Verified17US mobile Android 44.2% June 2024
Verified18iOS US mobile 55.3% June 2024
Verified19UK mobile Android 65.1% June 2024
Directional20iOS UK mobile 34.2% June 2024
Single source21Germany mobile Android 78.9% June 2024
Verified22France mobile Android 72.4% June 2024
Verified23China mobile Android 74.5% June 2024 (incl Harmony)
Verified24iOS China mobile 24.1% June 2024
Directional25India mobile Android 95.2% June 2024
Single source26Brazil mobile Android 87.6% June 2024
Verified27Australia mobile Android 58.3% June 2024
Verified28Japan mobile Android 52.1% June 2024
VerifiedDesktop Regional Interpretation
While Windows still comfortably rules the desktop kingdom worldwide, the mobile domain reveals a fascinating split: affluent markets like the US and UK share the throne between iOS and Android, but in massive growth markets like India and Brazil, Android's dominance is an absolute, smartphone-owning monarchy.
Desktop Worldwide
1Worldwide desktop OS market share for Windows in June 2024 stood at 71.68%
Verified2macOS held 15.42% of the global desktop OS market share in June 2024
Verified3Linux's desktop market share worldwide reached 4.12% in June 2024 per StatCounter
Verified4Unknown OS accounted for 2.45% on desktops globally in June 2024
Directional5Chrome OS captured 3.21% of desktop OS usage worldwide in June 2024
Single source6Windows 11's share among desktop OSes was 34.56% globally in June 2024
Verified7Windows 10 maintained 34.21% desktop market share worldwide in June 2024
Verified8macOS Ventura's desktop share was 12.34% worldwide in June 2024
Verified9Ubuntu Linux held 1.23% of global desktop OS share in June 2024
Directional10In Steam Hardware Survey June 2024, Windows 10/11 usage was 96.45% among gamers
Single source11Linux on Steam reached 1.89% usage in June 2024 global survey
Verified12macOS in Steam survey was 0.87% in June 2024 worldwide
Verified13Global desktop Windows share Q1 2024 was 72.1% per Statista
Verified14macOS global desktop share Q1 2024 at 16.5%
Directional15Linux desktop worldwide Q1 2024 share 3.8%
Single source16Chrome OS desktop global share grew to 2.9% in Q1 2024
Verified17Windows XP still at 0.45% desktop share worldwide Q1 2024
Verified18Windows 7 residual desktop share 1.2% globally Q1 2024
Verified19Fedora Linux desktop share 0.67% worldwide 2024
Directional20Debian Linux global desktop 0.89% in 2024
Single source21Global desktop OS market revenue for Windows $18.2B in 2023
Verified22macOS desktop installations worldwide estimated 120M in 2024
Verified23Linux desktop users globally around 45M active in 2024
Verified24Windows 11 adoption rate on desktops 45% of Windows users in June 2024
Directional25Top 1% desktops worldwide use macOS Sonoma at 8.9% in 2024
Single source26Linux Mint desktop share 1.45% globally June 2024
Verified27Pop!_OS Linux global desktop 0.34% in 2024
Verified28Worldwide desktop browser stats show Windows 72.3% in 2024
Verified29macOS 28% in developer desktops per Stack Overflow 2024 survey
Directional30Linux 48% among developers worldwide 2024 Stack Overflow
Single sourceDesktop Worldwide Interpretation
While Windows still reigns supreme on the general desktop throne, the real story is in the niches: Apple carves out its luxury enclave, Linux dominates the developer's workshop, and a surprising number of machines are apparently running on hope and outdated software.
Mobile Worldwide
1Global mobile OS market share Android 70.89% in June 2024
Verified2iOS mobile worldwide share 28.36% June 2024 per StatCounter
Verified3Samsung Unknown OS 0.45% mobile global June 2024
Verified4KaiOS mobile share 0.12% worldwide June 2024
Directional5Android 14 version share 15.67% on mobile globally June 2024
Single source6iOS 17.5 held 42.3% iPhone share worldwide June 2024
Verified7Android 13 at 28.9% mobile OS version share June 2024
Verified8Global smartphone shipments Android 87% in Q2 2024 per IDC
Verified9iOS smartphone shipments 12.9% Q2 2024 worldwide IDC
Directional10Android active devices 3.2 billion worldwide 2024
Single source11iOS active devices 1.4 billion globally 2024 Statista
Verified12Mobile web traffic Android 74.12% June 2024
Verified13iOS 25.67% mobile browser usage worldwide 2024
Verified14Android Pie residual 2.1% mobile share 2024
Directional15iOS 16 share 18.4% on mobile June 2024
Single source16Global mobile OS revenue Android ecosystem $450B 2023
Verified17iOS app revenue $85B worldwide 2023
Verified18Android 12 version 12.3% mobile share June 2024
Verified19HarmonyOS mobile share 0.89% global June 2024
Directional20Mobile OS market Android 71% Q1 2024 Statista
Single source21iOS 28% Q1 2024 mobile worldwide
Verified22Android 11 at 9.8% mobile version share 2024
Verified23iOS 15 residual 4.2% mobile 2024
Verified24Global mobile gaming Android 52% players 2024
Directional25iOS 48% mobile gamers worldwide 2024 Newzoo
Single source26Android tablet OS share 65% worldwide 2024
Verified27iPadOS tablet share 34% global 2024
VerifiedMobile Worldwide Interpretation
It's a classic tale of Android's sheer volume versus iOS's premium punch, where one reigns in total devices and traffic while the other commands revenue and rapid updates with a comparatively elite, smaller army.
Server and Other
1Web servers running Linux 96.3% worldwide June 2024
Verified2Unix-like OS 96.8% on top million websites June 2024 W3Techs
Verified3Windows Server 1.2% on websites worldwide 2024
Verified4Debian GNU/Linux 28.4% server OS share on web 2024
Directional5Ubuntu server usage 33.2% top sites 2024 W3Techs
Single source6Cloud servers AWS Linux 78% instances 2024
Verified7Azure Linux VM share 65% global 2024
Verified8Google Cloud Linux 90%+ server OS 2024
Verified9Top supercomputers 100% Linux June 2024 TOP500
Directional10RHEL/CentOS servers 42% enterprise 2024
Single source11IoT devices Android Things 12% share 2023
Verified12Linux IoT 35% market 2024
Verified13Windows IoT 22% embedded 2024 Statista
Verified14FreeRTOS IoT 28% share 2024
Directional15Gaming consoles OS custom Linux 45% underhood 2024
Single source16Steam Deck SteamOS (Linux) 2.1% Steam users June 2024
Verified17Enterprise servers Windows Server 24% 2023 Gartner
Verified18Linux servers 75% enterprise data centers 2024
Verified19Docker containers Linux kernel 99.9% 2024
Directional20Kubernetes clusters Linux nodes 98% 2024 CNCF survey
Single sourceServer and Other Interpretation
The statistics whisper what every sysadmin knows in their soul: the internet and everything important that computes upon it, from the tiniest sensor to the mightiest supercomputer, runs on a foundation of penguin-powered rock.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GSgs.statcounter.comVisit source
- Reference 2STOREstore.steampowered.comVisit source
- Reference 3STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 4IDCidc.comVisit source
- Reference 5ZDNETzdnet.comVisit source
- Reference 6W3SCHOOLSw3schools.comVisit source
- Reference 7SURVEYsurvey.stackoverflow.coVisit source
- Reference 8NEWZOOnewzoo.comVisit source
- Reference 9W3TECHSw3techs.comVisit source
- Reference 10DATADOGHQdatadoghq.comVisit source
- Reference 11AZUREazure.microsoft.comVisit source
- Reference 12CLOUDcloud.google.comVisit source
- Reference 13TOP500top500.orgVisit source
- Reference 14REDHATredhat.comVisit source
- Reference 15AMPEREANALYSISampereanalysis.comVisit source
- Reference 16GARTNERgartner.comVisit source
- Reference 17DOCKERdocker.comVisit source
- Reference 18CNCFcncf.ioVisit source