By designing questions with a focus on long-term trends, we were able to ask the same questions again, and see how things have changed over time. We also addressed emerging themes in software, adding in questions on AI, funding, innersource, security, and innovation to help capture the latest dynamics in open source.
Here are three major trends from this year’s survey:
- Security in open source is a priority: Secure by design is gaining traction, with 82% of respondents considering it important when deciding to use an open source project and 62% when choosing whether to contribute.
- AI adoption is growing: The use of AI tools like GitHub Copilot is on the rise with 72% of open source respondents reporting they use these tools for coding or documentation.
- Open source is getting more diverse: More respondents identified as ethnic minorities in their country of birth (18% in 2024, up from 13% in 2017) and immigrants (31% in 2024, up from 27% in 2017)—and we anticipate an increasingly diverse open source community as the global developer community grows.
These are just a few of our initial insights—we look forward to seeing what others find in the data.
Security and AI: A new benchmark
In 2024, we introduced questions centered on "secure by design" to gain insights into how open source projects are assessed for security practices. 82% of participants consider it essential when deciding to use a project and 62% see it as important when choosing whether to contribute. Improving project security has become a significant motivator for contributions.
When thinking about whether to use open source software, how important are the following things?
When thinking about whether to contribute to an open source project, how important are the following things?
Which is closest to your employer's policy on incorporating open source AI models into your codebase?
Which is closest to your employer's policy on incorporating open source dependencies into your codebase?
How often do you engage in or observe each of the following activities?
Have awareness of and follow applicable
ethics/governance/responsibility/safety/security practices, filtered for respondents who contribute to projects that use AI models or AI infrastructure
Shifting behaviors and norms
Diversity within the open source community has steadily increased over the years. In 2024, 30% of respondents identified as immigrants, up from 26% in 2017. Additionally, the percentage of respondents who do not identify as minorities in their home countries has declined from 79% to 70%, reflecting a broader range of perspectives and backgrounds in the community.
Do you currently live in a country other than the one in which you were born?
Thinking of where you were born, are you a member of an ethnicity or nationality that is considered a minority in that country?
The survey revealed a significant shift in the community's approach to harassment since 2017. While 49% of respondents in 2017 reported ignoring harassment, that figure dropped to 38% in 2024. This change highlights an increase in proactive actions within the open source community, with more individuals taking steps such as blocking and reporting incidents to address harassment directly.
Thinking of the last time you experienced harassment, how did you respond? Choose all that apply.
Privacy perspectives are evolving
Community attitudes toward privacy have also shifted. For instance, in 2017, 43% of respondents preferred not to disclose their age, a figure that dropped to only 4% in 2024. At the same time, fewer respondents support anonymous code contributions (down from 60% in 2017 to 51% in 2024), while more people are contributing under pseudonyms (12% in 2017 vs. 20% in 2024). These changes highlight the importance of secure, privacy-respecting tools and processes to foster inclusive collaboration.
What is your age?
Which of the following statements is closest to your beliefs about attribution in software development?
Which of the following best describes your practices when making open source contributions?
Financial support for open source
This year, we explored the levels of financial and in-kind support for open source from employers, governments, and investors. Although only a small percentage of respondents engage in or observe "frequent" support, in most categories, just 50% selected "never"—indicating that there is room for growth and potential investment in open source sustainability.
How often do you engage in or observe each of the following activities?
GitHub's $1.25M OSS investment
GitHub recently launched the GitHub Secure Open Source Fund to help connect funders and maintainers address security and sustainability.
We recognize our responsibility to help sustain and empower the open source ecosystem that is essential not just to the functioning of GitHub, but the critical digital infrastructure underpinning all sectors of the economy, governments, and civil society. We also support open source maintainers and contributors with practical resources, security tools and best practices that make it easier to build and maintain resilient projects.
Moving forward together
Over 75 million new users have joined GitHub in the past seven years and the community has been strengthened rather than weakened. The influx of participants is reinforcing the community’s resilience and vibrancy.
To drive open source forward, we call on organizations, governments, and funders to invest in the ecosystem, whether through financial contributions, resources, or direct collaboration with open source communities. Together, we can shape a stronger, more diverse, and secure open source future.