No-Code & Low-Code Statistics 2026: 25+ Sourced Facts & Trends
No-code and low-code development platforms let people build working software with visual tools instead of hand-written code, and the category has grown from a pandemic-era workaround into a standard line item in enterprise IT budgets. Analyst firms disagree sharply on exact market size (definitions of "low-code" vary widely between research houses), but they agree on the direction: more apps, more "citizen developers," and less reliance on scarce professional engineers.
Below are 25+ statistics on the no-code/low-code market, gathered from Gartner, Forrester, IDC, McKinsey, and Mendix's own enterprise survey research (cited via the original reports and reputable outlets that covered them). Where sources disagree, both figures are shown rather than picking one arbitrarily.
Key No-Code stats at a glance
- Forrester estimates roughly 16.2 million citizen developers worldwide in 2026, up about 38% from 2025.
- Gartner has forecast that by 2026, non-IT "citizen developers" will make up at least 80% of the user base for low-code tools, up from 60% in 2021.
- IDC projects the low-code/no-code/intelligent developer technologies market will grow at a 37.6% CAGR from 2023 to 2028.
- In Mendix's enterprise survey, 98% of organizations already use low-code platforms, tools, or features in their development process.
- McKinsey-linked research finds low-code/no-code can cut application development time by as much as 90% versus traditional coding.
Market size and growth
- Estimates of the low-code/no-code market's 2026 value vary sharply by scope: one Gartner-based forecast puts the low-code development technologies market at over $30 billion in 2026, while another puts it at $44.5 billion, climbing toward $58.2 billion by 2029 — the gap reflects different definitions of what counts as "low-code." — Gartner (via Kissflow / ByteIota)
- The low-code development technologies market has grown from roughly $3.8 billion in 2017 to well over $30 billion in recent Gartner estimates — an eight-fold-plus increase in under a decade. — Gartner (via Kissflow Citizen Development report)
- IDC forecasts the combined low-code, no-code, and intelligent developer technologies market will grow at a 37.6% compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2028. — IDC
- IDC's 2025 MarketScape assessment of worldwide low-code and no-code developer technologies formally tracks and ranks vendors in the category, reflecting how mainstream the space has become for enterprise buyers. — IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Low-Code and No-Code Developer Technologies, 2025 Vendor Assessment
- The no-code AI platform market specifically was estimated at $6.17 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $7.12 billion in 2025, growing at a 15.48% CAGR toward 2035 — a much narrower (AI-only) slice of the broader no-code market. — Market Research Future
Adoption and citizen developers
- Gartner has projected that by 2026, roughly 75% of new applications developed by enterprises will use low-code technologies. — Gartner (via ByteIota)
- Forrester estimates there will be about 16.2 million citizen developers worldwide in 2026, a roughly 38% increase from 2025. — Forrester (via Kissflow no-code statistics report)
- Gartner has forecast that developers outside formal IT departments will account for at least 80% of the user base for low-code development tools by 2026, up from about 60% in 2021. — Gartner (via Kissflow)
- An estimated 80% of enterprises were expected to have formal policies in place governing citizen developers by 2024, per Gartner. — Gartner (via Kissflow)
- Roughly 50% of new low-code platform buyers are projected to be business users outside of the traditional IT department, reflecting the shift toward citizen development. — Gartner (via Adalo)
- Gartner's August 2025 finance-function research explicitly states that "low/no-code technology use and citizen developers will be widespread within two years," as non-specialists take on more application-building work. — Gartner Newsroom
Developer shortage and enterprise pressure
- IDC research points to a global shortage of full-time developers reaching roughly 4 million by 2025, with the existing workforce effectively operating at only about 85% capacity relative to demand. — IDC (via ToolJet)
- In the United States specifically, forecasts point to a developer shortage of around 1.2 million by 2026. — Industry analysis (via ToolJet)
- About 82% of organizations report they struggle to hire qualified software engineers, a major driver behind low-code and citizen-development adoption. — Industry survey (via ToolJet)
- An estimated 87% of enterprise developers now use low-code platforms for at least some portion of their development work, rather than relying purely on hand-written code. — Forrester (via Kissflow / Index.dev)
- Around 81% of companies now describe low-code development as a primary strategic priority for their organization, not a side experiment. — Industry survey (via Index.dev)
What enterprises say: Mendix's State of Low-Code survey
- In Mendix's sponsored enterprise survey, 98% of organizations reported using low-code platforms, tools, or features somewhere in their development process — evidence the category has moved well past early adopters. — Mendix
- Among enterprises using low-code, 80% said it improves productivity, 79% said it reduces operational costs, and 73% said it improves time to market. — Mendix
- 69% of enterprises use between two and four different low-code platforms or tools at once, suggesting the category is multi-vendor rather than winner-take-all. — Mendix
- Top use cases reported were digital transformation initiatives (53%), improving legacy processes (44%), and reducing operational costs (45%). — Mendix
- In a separate Mendix-sponsored survey of C-suite and senior IT leaders, 75% said they view low-code as "the only option" for how coding will happen in the future. — Mendix
Speed, cost, and ROI
- Low-code/no-code development can cut overall application development time by as much as 90% compared to traditional hand-coded builds, according to McKinsey-linked research. — McKinsey (via Qvantel)
- A cited 2025 survey found 71% of enterprises using low-code or no-code platforms reported cutting application development time by at least 50% compared with traditional coding methods. — Survey research (via ToolJet)
- Reported project timelines put the average no-code/low-code project at roughly 3.2 weeks, versus 14.8 weeks for an equivalent traditionally coded project — about 74% faster. — Industry benchmark (via Kissflow)
- Organizations report an average 62% reduction in development costs when using low-code/no-code platforms versus traditional custom software development. — Industry benchmark (via Kissflow)
- Research cited in low-code ROI studies puts the average 3-year return on investment at 342%, with payback typically achieved within 6 to 9 months of deployment. — Industry ROI research (via Quandary Consulting Group)
- A McKinsey-linked study found organizations that actively empower citizen developers score about 33% higher on internal innovation measures than those that don't. — McKinsey (via ToolJet)
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These figures are compiled and updated by the Tolodora Editorial Team. You're welcome to use them with a link back to this page:
Tolodora Editorial Team, “No-Code & Low-Code Statistics 2026: 25+ Sourced Facts & Trends”, Tolodora, 2026. https://tolodora.com/blog/no-code-statistics
Frequently asked questions
How big is the no-code/low-code market in 2026?
Estimates vary widely by research firm and by how narrowly "low-code" is defined. Gartner-based forecasts range from roughly $30 billion to $44.5 billion for 2026, with some projections reaching $58 billion by 2029. IDC separately projects a 37.6% CAGR for the broader low-code/no-code/intelligent developer technologies category from 2023 to 2028. Treat any single headline figure as directional rather than exact, since methodologies differ.
What is a citizen developer?
A citizen developer is someone who builds business applications using low-code or no-code tools without being a professional software engineer, typically working within a line-of-business function like operations, marketing, or finance. Forrester estimates roughly 16.2 million citizen developers worldwide in 2026, and Gartner has forecast that non-IT users will make up at least 80% of the low-code tool user base by the same year.
Do no-code and low-code platforms actually save development time?
Multiple studies point in the same direction, though the exact magnitude differs. McKinsey-linked research cites up to a 90% reduction in development time for suitable projects, a cited 2025 survey found 71% of enterprises reporting at least a 50% time reduction, and industry benchmarks put average project timelines at about 3.2 weeks versus 14.8 weeks for equivalent traditionally coded projects. The size of the gain depends heavily on the complexity of the app being built.
Related on Tolodora
Every figure above is attributed to its cited third-party source and reflects the most recent data we could find at the time of writing; statistics change, so follow the source links to verify. Compiled by the Tolodora Editorial Team — we don't fabricate data.
