C# has significantly narrowed the gap with Java in the latest Tiobe index rankings
Microsoft’s C# is gaining traction on Java in the Tiobe index of programming language popularity, with recent trends indicating that C# could overtake Java in the near future.
In the October 2023 Tiobe index, Java ranked fourth with an 8.92% rating, while C# followed closely in fifth place at 7.71%. The difference of just 1.2 percentage points suggests a potential shift in the rankings as C# continues to grow in popularity. Java, which once dominated the index, has been surpassed by C, Python, and C++ over recent years.
C# and Java have been competing for two decades, both excelling in object-oriented programming and providing solutions for large-scale application development. Tiobe attributes some of Java’s decline to Oracle’s paid licensing model for Oracle Java, which may have pushed developers towards alternatives like Kotlin or open-source Java distributions such as OpenJDK.
In contrast, Microsoft’s decision to make C# free and open-source has worked in its favor. This approach has helped C# become more accessible to developers and fostered a strong community around the .NET ecosystem. Additionally, C# has benefited from constant updates and integration into modern development environments like Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.
Despite Java’s dip in rankings, it remains a staple in enterprise environments. The recent release of Java 21 and the upcoming Java 22 show that the language continues to evolve, even though Kotlin presents stiff competition on the JVM.
The Tiobe index measures language popularity based on factors such as the number of skilled engineers, educational courses, and third-party vendors associated with each language, using search engine results as a key metric. If current trends continue, C# could surpass Java in the rankings soon.