Trying to list the most popular languages can be a real challenge. This is because the popularity of programming languages vary over time and depend on the specific field or application. For example, Python is widely used in fields such as Machine Learning and scientific computing, while JavaScript is one of the core technologies of the web.
Likewise, Python couldn’t have been as popular in the 1980s, because it hadn’t been developed yet, and JavaScript was popular for many years before Type Script for the same reason.
However, you always need to ask yourself, how was the data compiled. Was it based upon the number of open job postings? Was it based upon questions asked in a forum using that language? Was it based upon salary? Or maybe it was based upon a survey? But who was sampled, as developers for certain topics and languages will have specialized sites they tend to favor.
You might also want to look at what is the most popular for a given domain. For example, if you are looking for Web Design, you might find a lot of PHP, and Ruby, on the back end, and JavaScript on the front end. However, you’d find few “votes” C/C++ or R. However, if you are doing mathematical calculations like stats and data analysis, you might find R to be one of the more popular languages, while few entries are submitted for PHP.
This goes back to why there are so many languages, and why there are so many popular ones. It’s not about learning the “right” language, but rather, the “right language for the right job.”
According to various sources, some of the most popular programming languages in 2022 are Python, JavaScript, Java, HTML/CSS, SQL, C#, C/C++, TypeScript, PHP, and R. This covers most domains, and allows for supporting older applications as well as building out new applications.
Popular Programming Languages was originally found on Access 2 Learn
