In the 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft Excel transformed data management by making data analysis accessible without coding. Its powerful features and ease of use made it the top choice for business analytics and office productivity. Today, millions still rely on Excel for everything from financial modelling to small business management.
Why is Excel still so popular?
I believe there are four reasons:
large user base
ease of use
versatility
affordability.
The strength of Microsoft Excel lies in its ability to perform exceptionally across all four areas: user base, ease of use, versatility, and cost. While it may not be the top solution in each category (except for its vast number of users), no other software matches Excel's well-rounded balance across all these dimensions.
Why does Excel's popularity matter?
Estimating the exact number of users is difficult, but understanding its impact is more important. So why does a large user base matter?
Better compatibility
With widespread use, sharing files becomes easier, avoiding issues with uncommon formats. Excel's popularity ensures that most cloud solutions and industry software support export to CSV or XLS formats, and many new applications integrate with it.
High talent pool
Excel's ubiquity means most professionals have some spreadsheet experience, making it easy to find talent without needing specialised training.
How many people use Excel?
It's impossible to precisely estimate how many people use Excel because Microsoft generally doesn't provide separate usage statistics for Excel within its Office suite in investor reports. Moreover, the number of licences doesn't account for unauthorised copies and doesn't include information on whether each user ever opened a spreadsheet.
Estimating Excel's User Base
Estimates suggest that between 0.5 and 1.5 billion people use Excel worldwide, though exact figures vary. Many sources lack credible data or provide outdated links, adding to the uncertainty. Despite this, the estimated range seems reasonable, given Excel's global adoption.
Precisely determining user numbers is challenging due to factors like unauthorised use, varying subscription types, and Microsoft bundling Excel with other Office products, making isolated figures difficult to obtain.
How many Excel users did Microsoft confirm?
On 02/03/2015, the Excel user base was indirectly outlined by Microsoft's EVP. He referred to the productivity services, which at that time covered Office Suite, Skype, Outlook & OneDrive as they were usually sold together, especially as Office 365 package.
"Today for our productivity services we have 1.1 billion users".
-Qi Lu (Microsoft's EVP) on Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference
One year later, the number of users rose to 1.2 bln, as Satya Nadella (Microsoft's CEO) reported.
Since then, the total number of Excel users has likely continued growing, particularly as Office 365 has steadily replaced the offline version.
More recently, Microsoft's Annual Report for 2020 announced that the year brought tremendous growth in the Office 365 license revenues. For the commercial edition, it was 24% YoY while the number of consumer subscribers increased by 23% to 42.7mln users. Also, over 1 million companies used Office 365 in November 2020.
How does Excel popularity compare with other software?
Out of the 1.1 billion+ LinkedIn users, over 100 million list Excel as a skill, showcasing its dominant position. In comparison, 61 million use Google Sheets, 2.6 million use Smartsheet, 0.21 million use Airtable, and 0.15 million use Apple Numbers. This demonstrates Excel's widespread adoption across different user bases.
Programming Languages and Tools
40 million users list SQL skills across various types and dialects. Python is used by over 31 million, while Java and JavaScript collectively reach 34 million users. R is noted by 18 million.
Data-Related Skills
Data analysis is listed by 61 million users, significantly higher compared to business intelligence, at 22 million, and data modelling, at 9.4 million. Despite the growing demand for specialised data tools, Excel retains a leading position among general data analysis skills.
How often do different job functions use Excel or VBA?
For most job functions specific to the office & corporate environment, over 1/6 LinkedIn users (17.3%) declared Excel skills in October 2024. Its popularity remains relatively high across all job functions, stretching from 9.5% to 32.3%.
When looking at the popularity relative to the cohort size, Excel is most popular among Product Management professionals (32.3%), Accounting & Finance specialists (30.0% & 26.0%) and least among entrepreneurs (9.5%), healthcare professionals (10.6%) and military personnel (11.0%).
Worldwide Excel Users by Job Function (2024)
While both Excel and Google Sheets are popular, Excel is generally more widely used, being declared on average 61% more often than Google Sheets. The relative popularity of Excel is most pronounced among professionals in Sales, Healthcare, Customer Service, and Quality Assurance, where it is 79%–84% more popular than Google Sheets.
In contrast, the gap is narrower—but still significant—with Excel being approximately 50% more popular among specialists in Business Development, Finance, Research, IT, Entrepreneurship, and Project Management.
This suggests that many professionals use both tools in parallel, and their popularity is correlated. Google Sheets is often used for high-intensity collaboration, while Excel is preferred for more heavy-duty models and templates.
Has Excel become outdated since its initial release in 1987?
Absolutely not. Despite being over three decades old, Excel remains perfectly suited to its core purpose: storing, handling, and processing data in a user-friendly way. With each new version and regular updates, Excel has expanded its capabilities to keep pace with the evolving needs of businesses.
Moreover, it's ideal for creating custom spreadsheet solutions tailored to specific requirements, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of applications.
The completeness of Excel
Excel today enables you to perform virtually any operation and integrate with numerous systems. With the introduction of Power Query, it can now handle millions of data rows, overcoming previous limitations and allowing for the processing of large datasets without specialised software.
Its versatility shines in areas like financial modelling, data analysis, project management, and automation. You can create dynamic dashboards, automate complex calculations, manage inventory systems, or develop custom solutions tailored to your business needs. As a fun niche fact, some enthusiasts have even built simple games within Excel.
Still, there are certain niche areas where Excel may be insufficient or not the best suited platform. Those are niche and complex areas such as certain types of econometric or Bigdata models.
Software Developers don't need it, but every other function does
While developers and specialised analysts might use advanced tools as part of their daily routine, Excel is indispensable for almost everyone else. Accountants, for example, gain more from mastering accounting software than learning to code just to analyse data a spreadsheet can handle.
Excel bridges this gap efficiently, enabling complex analyses without the steep coding learning curve.
Excel is relatively easy to use on a basic level...
Using templates and analysing data in Excel is only slightly more complex than sending an email. Its functionalities and formulae are well-documented, and troubleshooting is straightforward. There's a wealth of resources to help users of all skill levels perform common tasks.
But Its Real Power Is Unlocked with Macros and Clever Templates
Spending hours in unstructured spreadsheets is like running a marathon in flip-flops—you might finish, but it's hardly efficient. To truly harness Excel's power, you need macros and well-designed templates.
Automating repetitive tasks and reducing errors boosts productivity. If you don't know where to start, Senacea's Excel Consultants can transform your spreadsheets into powerful business tools.
Automating Excel Work Is the First Step Towards Business Process Improvement
Inefficient spreadsheet work is an open secret in many organisations. As an Excel expert, I've seen how cumbersome poorly structured files can be. Wrestling with bulky workbooks isn't just frustrating—it's a drain on resources. By automating tasks and optimising processes, you reclaim valuable time to focus on what truly matters.
You Know the Theory—Now Here Are Some Examples
While we've discussed Excel's potential in theory, let's look at practical examples of how it can be used to create custom solutions that might otherwise require expensive, time-consuming software development.
For more detailed breakdowns of solutions tailored to specific challenges, job functions, and tools, visit Spreadsheet Solutions.
Custom Financial Models for Investment or ROI in Property or Solar Energy
Developing bespoke systems with custom cost and revenue calculations and projected cash flow may be more viable than in enterprise software. Especially if financial metrics must be suitable for the industry (e.g. real estate, renewable energy or asset management) and reflect a specific business model.
Setting it up in SAP, XERO or industry-specific off-the-shelf software can be costly and time-consuming. Excel can handle complex financial models with advanced formulae and macros, adapting quickly without expensive development. This allows businesses to analyse scenarios, forecast returns, and make informed decisions efficiently.
Quotation Tools with Engineering Calculations and Complex Catalogues
Companies often need quotation tools that include intricate engineering calculations and integrate extensive catalogues with technical drawings or product photos. While custom software can meet these needs, it usually involves significant investment and lengthy development timelines.
Excel can be customised to perform these tasks efficiently, reducing costs and speeding up implementation. It allows for quick updates to calculations and easy integration of new products or changes in pricing.
Advanced Inventory Management Systems
Creating a custom inventory management system to address unique logistical challenges can be prohibitively expensive and slow to develop. Excel's robust features enable businesses to build sophisticated inventory tools quickly and affordably, adapting to specific requirements without the wait.
Excel provides a practical solution with functionalities like real-time stock updates, automated reorder alerts and comprehensive reporting.
You can develop powerful, customised solutions by leveraging Excel's capabilities without incurring substantial costs and delays. If you're ready to unlock Excel's full potential and drive meaningful improvements, consider partnering with Senacea's Excel Experts to guide you.
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