- Windows 11 slides below 50% after previously hit record heights
- Windows 10 regained market share just one month before the official life life
- Windows 7, not supported for years, still growing slightly in use
Microsoft’s push to make Windows 11 its undisputed standard OS seems to be a little wobbly as new data reveals a worrying booth in the adoption.
The latest figures from Statcounter Global Stats draw at more than 3.8 billion page views per year. Month across 1.5 million sites, Windows 11’s global market share has shown signs of turning at a critical moment.
In August 2025, Windows 11 accounted for 49.08% of worldwide use, down from a high of 53.51% earlier this year.
Windows 10’s resilience in front of life
This decline is particularly striking as the operating system seemed to be ready to cross the symbolic threshold of 50% crucial.
Instead, its proportion slipped at a time when Microsoft expected to consolidate its user base around the latest platform.
What makes the numbers more worrying is the unexpected rebound of Windows 10.
In July 2024, Windows 10 commanded nearly 65% of the market, but its share fell steadily as the Windows 11 advertising accelerated.
By the spring of 2025 it had fallen below 50%. In recent months, Windows 10 has started to itch the background and reached 45.53% in August 2025.
The timing is not good for Microsoft because there is only one month left before Windows 10 officially reaches out of life (EOL) in October 2025.
Instead of a crucial migration to Windows 11, the data shows that millions of users remain reluctant or unable to upgrade both business PC systems and personal devices.
Adding to the puzzle is the lightweight but noticeable increase in Windows 7, an operating system that Microsoft stopped supporting many years ago.
After staying stable at just over 3% for large parts of 2024, Windows 7 has grown to 3.59% in August 2025.
The increase is small in absolute terms, but important in context.
Windows 7 is long past its security support window, yet its persistence shows that users and organizations continue to depend on older systems that often run on older business -carrying computers.
These teamouts may be tied to specialized hardware or critical business applications, but they also create a long -term security concern for the wider ecosystem.
The contemporary dip for Windows 11 and growth for both Windows 10 and Windows 7 highlights a deeper problem: Resistance to change.
Despite aggressive promotion and system requirements designed to push users forward, Microsoft seems to hit a ceiling in the adoption and there are a few reasons for this.
Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements and excludes older but still useful devices.
Companies also always delay migration because they prefer stability rather than new features.
Then there is the cost problem. The modest resurgence of Windows 7 suggests that even -supported software in certain application cases is preferred rather than the cost of upgrading.
Some users may even consider the best alternative operating systems available today, just to avoid costs.
Unless the adoption quickly accelerates, Microsoft risks entering 2026 with a fragmented user base: One half on Windows 11, the other clinging to an operating system that is officially outdated.
