Looking to hire remote developers for your IT project? The world is a smaller place than ever before. No matter what skill sets you to require on your project, you today have a vast choice of options in countries boasting considerable programming and coding talent to build or extend your tech team fast. We’re here to help you look in the right place – let’s dive in!

Where are the World’s Best Coders Located?

We looked at the statistics available on the best coding talent, including one from hackerrank.com that tested the coding prowess of over 1.5 million developers from all over the world and across knowledge domains, and another by Coursera on countries with the highest tech skills. Here’s what they found:

Coders from China, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and Hungary had the best average scores on the coding challenges, followed by Japan, Taiwan, France, the Czech Republic, and Italy, with Ukraine just missing out. Coursera’s data found that Argentina, the Czech Republic, Australia, Spain, Poland, Belarus, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Finland had the best tech skills.

Poland and the Czech Republic feature in both rankings. The former is among Eastern Europe’s biggest tech pools (over 170,000) and has over 60,000 technology companies. More than an elite tech hub, Poland is a popular destination to hire remote software developers. The Czech Republic, where English is widely spoken, has over 85,000 developers.

Check this comprehensive guide to hiring remote developers and software development teams.

Top 10 Countries with the Best Programmers in the World

If you seek top programming talent, you’ll need to look beyond raw coding skills to consider communication and problem-solving skills that are also in your IT budget. The best programmers strive to equip themselves with non-programming skills so that they can create comprehensive documentation, provide quick feedback, collaborate with diverse dedicated development teams, and lead effectively.

When considering a bigger set of criteria, factors like English language proficiency, education system, demographic profile, and technological maturity come into play. Countries that provide a hospitable environment for tech talent and companies to bloom and then enter the fray – are listed below.

1. The United States

The US is not only a technology powerhouse but also a top country for technological expertise. Its world-class universities, generous technology grants, immigrant-friendly attitude, and innovative economy are supportive factors.

2. India

India is among the most digitally mature countries in the world, bolstered by its thriving technology and start-up scene. A big country, India’s human resources are plentiful and desirous of climbing the socioeconomic status by acquiring skills that make them employable in high-paying sectors, including technology. When you hire offshore developers here, you can expect quality and cost commensurate with it.

 3. Ukraine

The war-torn country is among Europe’s top tech talent hubs thanks to its strong STEM focus and dynamic start-up scene. Ukraine is home to some 200,000 computer engineers and code writers, and its technology companies make billions in revenue from Fortune 500 companies.

 4. China

While Chinese engineers and scientists are key contributors to US tech companies, the country itself has substantial tech talent due to its government’s policy of rejuvenation through science and education. Its tech talent is increasingly migrating from traditional firms to areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and biotech.

5. Poland

43% of Polish people aged 25-34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher in software development or technology. The country has seven major IT hubs. Moreover, hiring offshore developers in Poland is about 30% cheaper than in the US and 20-25% more cost-effective than in western Europe.

6. Brazil

When you think of Brazil, you think of beaches, rainforests, and Neymar. But it is also Latin America’s biggest tech talent pool, with over 475,000 developers, QA software testers, and programmers boasting strong educational backgrounds and innovative mindsets. When you hire a programmer located here, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

 7. Taiwan

Taiwan’s tech talent is on the rise, so much so that it is cracking down on China for poaching its best. A quarter of Taiwan’s university degrees are in engineering. The country has a reputation for technological innovation, and its government’s bilingual policy is expected to equip more locals with English language skills.

 8. Canada

While Canada does have challenges related to labor shortage, its tech workforce is outpacing that of the United States. Canadian work ethic emphasizes efficiency, flexibility, and humility, values that will no doubt make a positive difference when you plan to hire remote software developers based in the country or nearshore software development outsourcing from the U.S.

 9. The Philippines

The Philippines is recognized for its BPO industry. What’s lesser known is that the country’s tech talent has been growing over the years, making it a contender for outsourced software development. High proficiency in English in Asia, second only to Singapore, is a huge advantage.

10. Romania

Once a hacker’s den, Romania is today formidable in cybersecurity. Its tech expertise extends to custom software development, web and mobile app development, web design, IT strategy consulting, and IoT development. It also happens to be one of three EU states with the largest number of female software developers.

Have some ideas of where to hire offshore developers?

Hopefully, we’ve given you something to think about for your IT staff augmentation or software outsourcing requirements. If you’d prefer to hire a software development team that is strong in tech skills and soft skills such as English language fluency and communication ability, we’d recommend you focus on countries with the best talent and cost-effective developer rates. Contact our IT talent-hiring experts to evaluate further and set your project into motion. VLink is local U.S. based minority-owned, with an offshore presence in India & Indonesia and a nearshore presence in Canada.