In much the same way that x86 is not the most used computer architecture, due to all of the embedded devices out there. Yes, SQLite is probably used by more people than Excel, but it's not used directly. Excel is used directly by non-programmers constantly.

Edit: Clarified my first statement.

Reminds me of this

http://blog.gobansaor.com/2009/03/14/sqlite-as-the-mp3-of-da...

though I never tried it (or similar) -- my days of heavy Excel use are some years in the past and a few hats away.

I'm pretty sure my receptionist has no idea what SQLite is.

Using a product that uses a database is not using a database.

If it were, then the winner would probably be Oracle since you are "using that database" every time you, e.g., make a purchase with your credit card. Probably multiple times since your purchase will end up in the databases of the credit card company, the bank, the merchant...

Probably is, but that's why I put the disclaimer in the first sentence. Would love to see if there was somehow a way to grt stats on this, even if it's random sampling. Updated: refer to daekns comment above. It says what I wanted to say.

If you count people who don't even know they're using it, then you should include things like BigTable.