New research reveals 15.6 million developers now use cloud native technologies, with backend and DevOps professionals leading adoption
Key Highlights:
- CNCF and SlashData release State of Cloud Native Development research report.
- Survey finds cloud native adoption has reached 15.6 million developers globally, with backend and DevOps (58%) professionals leading the way.
- Research shows 77% of backend developers are using at least one cloud native technology.
- The report notes cloud infrastructure strategies are shifting: hybrid cloud use has grown to 32% and multi-cloud to 26% among developers, and distributed cloud is emerging among backend teams.
ATLANTA, KUBECON + CLOUDNATIVECON NORTH AMERICA – November 11, 2025 – The Cloud Native Computing Foundation® (CNCF®), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today released new insights from its latest State of Cloud Native Development report with SlashData, revealing the evolving footprint of cloud native development across backend, AI and DevOps communities. The findings reflect the growing adoption and diversification of cloud native practices globally and the effects of cloud native in AI.
“The data confirms what we’re seeing in the ecosystem: cloud native is expanding far beyond traditional backend and container infrastructure use cases,” said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO, CNCF. “From platform engineering to AI, developers are incorporating cloud native technologies to meet reliability, scalability and operational needs.”
Cloud Native Adoption Reaches Scale
Cloud native technologies are now a cornerstone of modern software delivery. The 15.6 million developers adopting these tools represent a critical mass driving efficiency, automation, and resiliency.
- 77% of backend developers report using at least one cloud native technology, highlighting greater adoption.
- Backend and DevOps professionals lead adoption at 58%, reflecting cloud native’s deep integration in enterprise operations.
- Foundational technologies like API gateways and microservices remain dominant—with 50% and 46% adoption among backend developers.
- Additionally, more sophisticated and specialized practices such as observability, Kubernetes, chaos engineering, and immutable infrastructure show a more gradual uptake.
Organizations that embrace cloud native practices are achieving faster release cycles, reduced operational overhead, and greater scalability. As adoption matures, the focus is shifting from experimentation to measurable business outcomes.
Evolving Infrastructure Strategies
Hybrid, multi-cloud, and distributed models are redefining infrastructure economics and enabling enterprises to balance performance and cost.
- Hybrid cloud usage has risen to 32% across all developers, up from 22% in 2021.
- Multi-cloud deployments have grown to 26% overall, enabling flexibility and vendor neutrality.
- Distributed cloud is emerging, now used by 15% of backend developers seeking to run workloads closer to users and data sources.
The shift in the cloud reflects a greater enterprise priority: building resilient, globally distributed systems that can support AI and data-intense workloads while maintaining regulatory agility.
AI and ML Developers Show Divergent Maturity
AI developers showed surprising divergence in cloud native maturity. As AI adoption quickly surges, the intersection of AI and cloud native represents a technical challenge and market opportunity.
- Despite their infrastructure-heavy workloads, only 41% of professional AI developers are cloud native.
- The study also finds that 30% of AI developers use Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS) platforms, which abstract away infrastructure management.
“The rise of AI developers within the cloud native ecosystem marks the next frontier of growth,” said Liam Bollmann-Dodd, senior market research consultant at SlashData. “While only 41 percent of professional AI developers currently identify as cloud native, their workloads largely depend on it on a day-to-day basis. As the line between data science and infrastructure blurs, we expect to see greater convergence where cloud native principles underpin the scale and portability that AI development demands.”
Bridging the gap between managed AI services and open cloud native tooling will be key to operationalizing AI at scale. This presents an opportunity for CNCF projects and community education to shape the future of AI infrastructure.
The Path Forward: From Adoption to Optimization
The ecosystem is entering a new maturity phase where automation, observability, and resilience drive competitive advantage. The data suggests a three-stage adoption curve among developers: foundational (API gateways), sophisticated (Kubernetes, observability), and specialized (chaos engineering). This maturity journey underscores that organizations are moving from “adopting tools” to “optimizing systems.”
As CNCF celebrates ten years of community growth, it continues to invest in education and certifications, and interoperability to ensure that cloud native technologies remain foundational for global innovation.
CNCF will be discussing these findings and more this week during KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2025 in Atlanta. Join upcoming events, including KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026 March 23-26 in Amsterdam.
Additional Resources:
- Download the full State of Cloud Native Development report
- Learn more about CNCF projects at https://www.cncf.io/projects/
About Cloud Native Computing Foundation
Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry’s top developers, end users, and vendors and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by nearly 800 members, including the world’s largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io.
About SlashData
SlashData is an AI analyst firm which has been working with the top Tech brands to provide clarity and confidence in their decision-making. For 20 years, we have been tracking software technology trends and helping technology brands make product and marketing investment decisions, challenging assumptions and reframing market trends to empower industry leaders to drive the world towards the future.
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