Windows 11 has hit a major milestone this month, officially surpassing the 55% global market share mark. According to StatCounter’s latest figures for October 2025, Microsoft’s newest OS now runs on 55.17% of all desktop PCs worldwide, while Windows 10 continues to slide, dropping to 41.74%. The analytics platform also corrected a long-standing bug that overstated Windows 7’s share — it’s now been adjusted to just 2.5%, confirming that older versions have nearly vanished from active use.
The surge in Windows 11 adoption isn’t surprising. With Microsoft ending full support for Windows 10 earlier this year, millions of users and IT departments have been forced to move forward. Home users upgrading hardware and businesses completing migration plans both contributed to the shift. Extended security updates remain available for enterprise customers, but for most, the writing is on the wall — Windows 11 is the future of the Windows ecosystem.
New hardware is also accelerating the transition. Virtually every modern PC ships with Windows 11 pre-installed, and Microsoft’s hardware partners have been quick to push systems built around the OS’s AI features and enhanced security model. The requirement for TPM 2.0 and newer CPUs ensures that most of the active Windows user base will eventually upgrade, either by choice or necessity.
StatCounter’s data also paints a picture of how far older systems have fallen. Windows 8 is barely hanging on with 0.34% market share, while the ancient Windows XP—released more than two decades ago—still has a tiny but dedicated 0.22% presence. These remaining users are likely running specialized legacy setups or offline industrial systems.
Interestingly, Microsoft had originally projected Windows 11 to reach majority market share sometime in 2026, but the transition has happened faster than expected. The combination of corporate upgrade programs and new PC sales pushed adoption past the 50% threshold earlier this year, and it has continued to climb steadily ever since.
Looking ahead, Windows 11’s growth shows no sign of slowing. With the next major feature update, Windows 11 26H1, expected to arrive in early 2026, Microsoft’s focus will remain on expanding AI integration, performance optimizations, and user experience improvements. Meanwhile, Windows 10’s remaining share is expected to continue its steady decline throughout 2026 as more users move to supported hardware and software ecosystems.
Source: statcounter
