---
title: "Years using Stack Overflow — Community data 2026"
url: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2026/community/data/so-years
year: 2026
chapter: "community"
question: "SOYears"
section: "Stack Overflow and community platforms"
licence: "ODbL 1.0 (https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/)"
---

# Years using Stack Overflow

The user base is deeply tenured. 76% have used SO for 5+ years, with 34% at 10–15 years and 18% at 15+ years. Only 9% are new users (under 3 years), and 6% don't use it at all.

Asked as: How long have you used Stack Overflow? (`SOYears`, single select, optional, v2026.1)

## Options offered

1. I don't use Stack Overflow
2. Less than one year
3. Between 1 and 3 years
4. Between 3 and 5 years
5. Between 5 and 10 years
6. Between 10 and 15 years
7. More than 15 years, or since Stack Overflow started in 2008

## Results

### All Respondents

n = 17,142

|  | Respondents | Percent |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Between 10 and 15 years | 5,739 | 33.5% |
| Between 5 and 10 years | 4,291 | 25.0% |
| More than 15 years, or since Stack Overflow started in 2008 | 3,000 | 17.5% |
| Between 3 and 5 years | 1,561 | 9.1% |
| I don't use Stack Overflow | 1,020 | 6.0% |
| Between 1 and 3 years | 957 | 5.6% |
| Less than one year | 574 | 3.4% |

In context: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2026/community/data.md