Stack Overflow Developer Survey Reveals JavaScript and Python’s Popularity But Rust’s Superior User Satisfaction
For the 11th consecutive year, JavaScript has solidified its position as the most commonly used programming language, according to the Stack Overflow annual developer survey. This consistent dominance highlights JavaScript’s pivotal role in web development, where it serves as the backbone for interactive web applications. Developers around the globe continue to rely on JavaScript for building dynamic and responsive user experiences, making it a fundamental skill for anyone in the software development field.
In addition to being the most utilized language, JavaScript also emerged as the most desired language among developers surveyed, demonstrating a continued interest in its capabilities. However, it is Python that closely follows, showcasing its rising popularity and versatility in various domains, including data science, artificial intelligence, and automation. While both languages maintain strong user bases, it is Rust that captured the admiration of developers like no other language. Almost 85% of developers who have experience with Rust expressed a desire to continue using it, a figure that significantly outpaces JavaScript’s 58% and Python’s 66%.
Rust’s appeal lies in its focus on safety and performance, making it an attractive option for systems programming and applications where efficiency is crucial. Following Rust in the admiration rankings are TypeScript and Zig, which are also appreciated for their unique features and capabilities. TypeScript, an evolution of JavaScript that adds static typing, is particularly favored among developers seeking to enhance code quality and maintainability.
While JavaScript remains unchallenged at the top of the usage chart, it is worth noting that HTML/CSS ranked second, and Python claimed third place in the usage statistics. Notably, Python has overtaken SQL, which dropped to the fourth position this year, reflecting the growing importance of general-purpose programming languages in the industry. TypeScript rounded out the top five languages in terms of usage, indicating a strong trend towards modern JavaScript development practices.
The survey, which garnered responses from nearly 90,000 software developers worldwide, provides insights into not only programming languages but also broader trends in technology. In database usage, PostgreSQL has emerged as the most popular choice, surpassing MySQL for the first time. This shift highlights the growing preference for PostgreSQL’s advanced features and capabilities, particularly in enterprise and data-intensive applications.
On the cloud front, Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to lead as the most-used cloud platform, significantly ahead of its competitors, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. This enduring preference for AWS underscores its comprehensive service offerings and strong ecosystem, making it a go-to choice for developers and organizations seeking reliable cloud infrastructure. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, the insights from this survey will undoubtedly influence trends in programming languages, tools, and cloud services in the coming years.