The Top Programming Languages in 2020 by IEEE Spectrum

In the list published by IEEE Spectrum on the top programming languages for 2020, it is interesting to see the change in trends.

The Top Programming Languages from 2016 to 2020 published by IEEE Spectrum

My observations:

1. Python (as expected) retains the top slot for the last four years.
2. JavaScript is slowly raising in popularity, it would’ve been in the top 2, had it not been for AI, ML & Python.
3. C# suddenly has vanished from the top 10 this year, feels odd as the comments in the article page point out.
4. Similarly, PHP going out from the top 10 for last two years, I am surprised with this – as WordPress, which is powered by PHP, still runs over 30% of the Internet websites.
5. Java remaining static in #2 or #3 for all the five years. Not surprising, enterprises and Android apps use it a lot.
6. Apple’s Swift remaining in #9 for the two years, I would’ve expected it to raise.
7. Data Science language “R” remaining static in #5 or #6 for all the five years.
8. Slow raise of Google’s Go Lang. I feel this deserves to be raising more.
9. Inclusion of Matlab, I don’t know enough to explain this.
10. Arduino is an odd item here as the article’s comment section has highlighted.

What do you think? What are the programming languages you use every day? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: The lists for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 can be seen from IEEE Spectrum website.

Update 27th January 2021:

In a report published, based on the data from O’Reilly online learning platform, shows Python and Java ahead of the usual the well-regarded leader JavaScript. I am not surprised on this as the IEEE Spectrum reports have been consistently Python to be the leader.

Published on 25th Jan 2021, the top languages for O’Reilly online learning. Courtesy: Oreilly.com

Update September 2023:

In the rankings for 2023 released by IEEE Spectrum, Python continues to top the list of programming languages.

Notice the:

1. No major changes in the order for the last five years,
2. The continuing popularity of Java and C++ (along with C and C#),
3. Continued relevance of PHP,
4. Rise of modern languages like Go, Dart, Rust & Kotlin,
5. Thankfully JavaScript is only in the fifth position :-)

Top Programming Languages in 2023