Abstract
To grasp the structure of an industry and monitor its changes, it is essential to utilize relevant statistics. Various statistics are being compiled regarding the software (SW) industry, presenting diverse numerical values. However, without a precise understanding of the scope and measurement methods inherent to each statistic, gaining a rigorous understanding of the industry's structure and evolving trends becomes challenging. Moreover, significant discrepancies between similar statistics often lead to confusion among users. In the software (SW) industry, key statistics commonly used include SW production value and SW market size. As of 2022, the annual domestic SW production value is reported as 77.4 trillion KRW (based on ICT Survey), while the SW market size for the same year is stated as 38.5 trillion KRW (according to IDC data). Although production value and market size may seem conceptually similar, there is approximately a twofold difference between the figures provided. Without understanding the meanings of each statistic and the differences between them, there are limitations in utilizing these statistics effectively. While statistics are utilized for various purposes such as policy development or causal analysis of policy using statistical raw data, research that presents and analyzes the precise meanings and limitations of each SW-related statistic is virtually non-existent. Thus, this study aims to compare and analyze the methodologies and differences among key statistics used to represent the SW industry: SW production value, SW market size, and SW GDP statistics. Through this analysis, the goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the SW industry's structure and enable more accurate and rigorous utilization of relevant statistics.