The advantages of using a microservices architecture in application development include increased modularity, scalability, and flexibility. This architectural style breaks down applications into smaller, independent services that can be developed, deployed, and maintained separately. Each microservice can use different technologies and scale according to its specific demands, which enhances resource utilization. Additionally, this approach simplifies debugging and enables continuous integration and deployment. As a result, teams can iterate rapidly and respond to changing business needs while improving overall system resilience and performance.