Eighty-one percent of open source developers think that open source development leads to code that has better quality and security, according to the 2024 Open Source Developer Report from the Linux Foundation.

This year’s report focused on “the specific needs and strategies that open source developers employ to advance their careers,” but it also asked developers about the overall value of open source software (OSS).

Those findings include:

• 88% of respondents somewhat or strongly agree that open source software (OSS) allows organizations to innovate faster.
• 69% agree that the overall benefits of open source outweigh the cost.
• 49% agree that open source software has sustainability problems.
• 82% agree that open source sustainability problems could be solved if organizations did a better job of "giving back".

In regard to career advancement, the report found that “59% of respondents perceived value in keeping up with open source ecosystems by attending professional events.”

Other strategies include:

• Learning new skills (87% of respondents found this very or extremely important)
• Improving existing skills (87%)
• Demonstrating excellence in current role (81%)
• Staying up to date with fast-paced technology changes (77%)
• Understanding how technology will impact the industry I’m employed in (77%)
• Connecting to other professionals (60%)
• Changing roles or employers (28%)

See more details in the 2024 Open Source Software Developer Report.