Which programming languages are currently dominant? Every software developer evolves in a specific way as they gain experience. It’s natural – everything affects you, from your education to the projects you choose to your own interests. Sometimes, however, it can be very helpful to focus on the trends around you instead of your own journey through the world of software development.

How Is the Popularity of Programming Languages Changing?

That’s one of the questions answered by SlashData’s State of Developer Nation survey. Its 22nd edition was published in early May 2022, so there’s certainly no shortage of data from the past to compare with the current state.

The data was collected between December 2021 and February 2022. More than 20 thousand software developers from 166 countries participated in the survey. Therefore, the results truly reflect current trends from around the world.

TOP 3 Most Popular Languages

First of all, the dominance of JavaScript has been confirmed again. The 17.5 million developers who use this scripting language brought it the first place in terms of popularity among developers for the tenth survey in a row. It should be added, however, that analysts from SlashData also included CoffeeScript and TypeScript under JavaScript.

Python, which outpaced Java two years ago, holds on to second place with 15.7 million users. Recently, it has made a big gain – up to 3.3 million developers in half a year. Considering that JavaScript has seen “only” 1 million new supporters at the same time, Python could soon reach the top of the rankings.

The most popular top three are rounded out by Java. This language has been around for almost three decades but has seen a steady stream of new users every year. This is due to its versatile use in the backend, Android app development, as well as new use cases in VR and AR.

What Else Did the Survey Show?

The analysis of the collected data showed a jump in the popularity of Rust. As of Q3 2021, it has moved up by two ranks. Over the past two years, the group of developers using Rust has almost tripled.

Kotlin is also enjoying an increase in the number of its users. If you compare its popularity data from the current survey and the results from the same period last year, you’ll find that the number of its supporters among software developers more than doubled. This change is mainly attributed to Google’s decision to choose it as the preferred language for development associated with Android apps.

What Does Practical Experience Show?

In our annual rankings, projects for Java programmers have been in the top position for the past 9 years, and, more recently, projects for JavaScript programmers have followed right behind. The survey therefore truly reflects the reality of the market, as proven by our wide range of IT projects where these programming languages are used.