How Much Software can be Developed in a Year?

QSM, a company that maintains a vast database about software projects, looked into how much code we can develop in a year. Click here(PDF) for the full report.

Only about 10% of projects they studied delivered more than 75,000 SLOC
in 12 months. But those efforts spent a pile of money cranking so much code so fast. These big projects burned 117% to 419% more cash than a similar 139,000 SLOC project delivered over a longer period. Fast is expensive.

About 60% of the projects shipped under 10,000 SLOC in a year.

The report concludes that the biggest program practically possible in 12 months runs about 180,000 SLOC, and will use a team of 70 to 100 people. It will cost two to four times more than the same project with a more relaxed schedule.

That works out to 150 to 214 SLOC per programmer per month.