Windows 11 holds top position in the US, but lost some market share to Windows 10 globally

Windows 11 has lost momentum in global usage yet again. Well, that’s according to the latest data published by StatCounter. The operating system now sits on 49.02% of Windows PCs worldwide, a drop of 4.49 points compared to August.

Windows 10, on the other hand, bounced back, climbing 2.77 points to reach 45.65%. That’s not all; the remaining market is still shared by older versions like Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and even Windows XP, despite their long-expired support lifecycles.

So what’s beind this surprising climb of Windows 10? One likely reason is Microsoft’s new Extended Security Updates program for Windows 10.

Following a recent bug fix delivered through an optional update, private users can now officially enroll to ESU program. That means even though Windows 10 is already a decade old, you can keep receiving updates until October 2026.

In the United States alone, Windows 11’s performance looks stronger, though. It leads with 59.28% share, and in the UK it does even better at 60.53%. Europe, however, tells a different story. There, Windows 10 remains dominant at 53.01%, while Windows 11 lags slightly behind at 43.89%.

It’s not hidden anymore that the company has been flooding PCs with ads and banners, trying to move users toward upgrading. However, the latest figures suggest that many still aren’t ready to move on.