[UPDATE: Read our 2018 Report here]
We analyzed aggregated Compliance Intelligence data (the number of unique machines using unpaid software) as of March 2017 to identify the Top 20 countries using pirated or unlicensed software:
| Rank | Country | Change in Rank Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | (no change) |
| 2 | United States | ↑1 |
| 3 | Iran | ↑1 |
| 4 | Russia | ↓2 |
| 5 | India | (no change) |
| 6 | Vietnam | (no change) |
| 7 | Italy | ↑1 |
| 8 | Germany | ↓1 |
| 9 | Turkey | ↑1 |
| 10 | Korea | ↑4 |
| 11 | Brazil | ↓2 |
| 12 | France | ↓1 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | ↑4 |
| 14 | Indonesia | ↑1 |
| 15 | Pakistan | ↑4 |
| 16 | Taiwan | ↓4 |
| 17 | Ukraine | ↓4 |
| 18 | Spain | (no change) |
| 19 | Mexico | ↓3 |
| 20 | Algeria | (new) |
Drilling down into the data reveals some interesting observations:
- The United States rose to #2 on our list, but the actual commercial value of unlicensed software in the U.S. ($9,095M) is higher than China (#1 with a commercial value of $8,657M) according to the BSA’s 2016 Global Software Survey.
- Five EU countries are represented in the Top 20 (with two in the Top 10)
- North America and the EU represent strong opportunities to convert unlicensed use to paying customers
- All BRIC countries are represented in the Top 20
- Iran’s move up to #3 is likely the result of easing of sanctions in January 2016 and the appearance of new Iran-based piracy portals in 2016
- Russia’s move down to #4 suggests an impact of President Vladimir Putin’s calls for more digital sovereignty
