The CRAN archive, year by year
How the archive itself has changed, one measurement at a time. For a single year, package by package, see that year's digest.
- 24,621
- Packages
- 72%
- Passing checks
- +427
- Net growth (30d)
- 1997–2026
- Years covered
24,621
Packages on CRAN in 2026
The running population: births minus archivals, year by year.
2,682
Packages joined in 2026
First published that year, including packages since archived.
1,081
Packages archived in 2026
Removed from CRAN that year, for any reason.
+1,601
Net change in 2026
Joined minus archived. Negative years are real and rare.
3,006
First-time maintainers in 2026
People whose earliest package appeared that year, counted once.
8,402
Packages with a public repository in 2025
Had a repository we could read that year. The current year is withheld: it is a full census rather than reconstructed history, so it is not comparable.
16.0
Median stars in 2025
Among packages with a public repository that year. The population grows over time, and the current year is withheld as not comparable.
5.0
Median open issues in 2025
Among packages with a public repository that year. Open issues are a sign of use as much as of neglect.
6.0
Median direct dependencies in 2026
Across versions released that year, excluding the R version floor.
What happened in a given year
This page reports how the archive changed. To see which packages arrived and left in one year, open its digest.
Two years, side by side
The same measurements at two points in time, read as a single diff. It answers the question one year alone cannot, which is what has changed.