Stack Overflow Projected to Experience 78% Yearly Decline in Question Volume by December 2025 as Developers Shift Towards AI Tools

Stack Overflow, once a bustling hub for tech inquiries, has experienced a staggering 78% decline in user questions, plummeting from over 200,000 monthly inquiries in early 2014 to just 3,862 by December 2025. This decrease is primarily attributed to developers increasingly utilizing AI tools, which offer immediate, friendly responses, bypassing the potential hostility of human respondents. A survey indicated that 84% of developers are using or planning to use AI tools, highlighting a shift in support-seeking behavior. Users on platforms like Reddit and Hacker News note that AI’s efficiency poses a challenge to Stack Overflow’s relevance. Despite this downturn in user engagement, revenue from Stack Overflow’s paid offerings remains robust, reporting a 12% sequential growth as of September 2025. While the community site aims for high-quality discourse, its strict regulations and rising competition from AI and alternative platforms may pose significant challenges going forward.

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