It is already possible to predict which programming languages will be popular in 2022. Such an assessment is given by the corresponding ratings, which weigh all the pros and cons of languages, based on statistics collected over months and quarters. Let’s consider the most famous ratings and make a forecast for the beginning of 2022. We will do this with the aid of experts from Boosty Labs, which helps businesses hire Java developers with vast experience and competence.
TIOBE
As you know, in October 2021, a real revolution took place – Python replaced Java, taking first place in the TIOBE Programming Language Popularity Index.
Nevertheless, this did not come as a surprise to anyone, because in recent years Python has gained popularity and has become almost the most universal programming language. Python is still the most in demand in Data Science and back-end development, but it is also suitable for game development, desktop and mobile applications.
How did the situation change in November? You can see that PHP has dropped out of the top ten, giving way to the R and Swift languages. Once PHP was positioned as the main language for the backend, but now it faces strong competition in this area: Java (Spring), JavaScript (Node.js), Python (Django). This does not mean that the language is dead, but experts believe that further recession should be expected.
Other interesting changes in programming languages that can migrate in this composition in 2022:
- Compared to last year, Swift moved up from 13th to 10th position.
- Assembly Language – 12th to 8th.
- Fortran – 32th to 17th.
- In contrast, R dropped from 9th to 11th place.
- Perl – 14th to 18th.
- Go – from 16th to 19th.
Github
The most popular hosting service for IT projects has recently published a summary report, Octoverse, which presents data on various areas of development. All statistics are generated based on projects and GitHub users.
In 2021, the audience of the web service has grown by 17 million, but the most interesting thing is the change in the popularity of the languages used by developers.
JavaScript has been the unchanged leader on GitHub for several years now. Python bypassed Java in 2019 and holds the position. Java is in third place.
Interesting changes:
- TypeScript skyrocketed to # 4 in 2020, and still retains it.
- This year Shell has moved up from 9th place to 8th.
- But the C language, on the contrary, dropped from 8th to 9th place.
IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has updated its ranking, which identified potentially popular programming languages in 2022.
Here, Python is also in the lead, while here this is already the fourth victory for Python in a row. In general, the top five are identical to last year’s: Java, C, C ++ and JavaScript remain at the top.
In 2020, against the backdrop of a flared pandemic, when the authorities needed to update old systems, COBOL unexpectedly burst into the rating, immediately taking the honorable 7th place. However, in the third quarter of 2021, the language slipped to 45th place.
C # shows good results: the language moved up from 23rd to 6th place. Experts attribute this rapid growth to the release of the ninth version of C # and the release of Windows 11.
In total, 55 languages are represented in the IEEE rating. The data is collected from popular platforms for programmers, among which it is worth highlighting StackOverflow, Reddit, Google Search, as well as the already mentioned GitHub.
Popular programming languages 2022
Based on the above rankings, the six most popular languages in 2022 are as follows:
Python
After the publication of the TIOBE report, a real revolution took place. Python will surely remain in the first place for a long time as a language for Data Science, back-end development, and easy entry into programming.
Java
And while Python is resting on its laurels, Java still holds the honorable second. Behind this language is a complex backend, Android development, desktop and Big Data.
C
C is very fast because it is essentially executed at the processor level. Operating systems and drivers are written on its basis. Also C is the parent of C ++, C #, Java, Objective C, Perl and other languages.
C #
Nothing will happen to the main development language of the Microsoft .NET Framework as long as Microsoft itself lives and Windows is updated. C # is also very much in demand in game development: for example, it is on it that the Unity engine works.
C ++
In terms of speed, C ++ is second only to the C language and is # 1 for game developers. C ++ is also heavily used in machine learning, including the creation of MO libraries such as TensorFlow.
JavaScript
Everlasting front-end leader and a favorite of GitHub users. Nothing will change with regard to this language in the near future.