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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors“Popular” programming language can mean self-reported use, activity in open-source repositories, contributor growth, or other signals. In 2023, JavaScript led both Stack Overflow’s developer survey and GitHub’s project-based ranking, but the rankings differed after that: Python rose to third in Stack Overflow’s respondent survey, while TypeScript took third across GitHub open-source projects. These findings describe different populations and measures; they do not establish one universal winner or directly measure demand for programming jobs.
Which programming languages were developers using in 2023?
The clearest answer depends on what “using” means. Stack Overflow asked survey respondents which technologies they used extensively, while GitHub examined activity across projects on its platform. Both put JavaScript first in their respective measures, but their rankings are not interchangeable.
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| Source and measure | What it found in 2023 | What the result represents |
|---|---|---|
| Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023: reported language use | JavaScript was the most commonly used language for the eleventh year in a row. Python overtook SQL for third place. | Responses to a survey question; the language-use section reports 87,585 responses. |
| GitHub Octoverse 2023: language use across GitHub open-source projects | JavaScript remained first. TypeScript passed Java to take third place. | Repository and contributor activity on GitHub, not a count of all software development. |
GitHub described the result this way: “JavaScript has once again taken the crown for the #1 most popular language, and we continue to see familiar languages, such as Python and Java, remain in the top five languages year over year.” That is GitHub’s characterization of its platform data, not a claim that every developer or project uses the same languages. Stack Overflow’s 2023 survey and GitHub’s 2023 Octoverse report measure different things.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWhy do the top programming languages change by ranking?
A ranking is the product of its population, data source, time window, and definition of a language’s popularity. Those choices matter more than small differences in rank when comparing lists from different publishers.
- Survey use: Stack Overflow reports what respondents said they used extensively. Its large international survey received about 90,000 responses from 185 countries, but respondents were recruited primarily through Stack Overflow-owned channels, including its site, blog, newsletter, advertising, and social posts. It is not a census, and people who engage with Stack Overflow were more likely to encounter it. The survey’s language-use section had 87,585 responses, a separate count from the rounded overall response total. Stack Overflow’s June 13, 2023 press release gives the overall survey scale; the survey report provides language results and methodology.
- Repository activity: GitHub’s Octoverse reflects projects and contributors on GitHub. It is useful for understanding activity on that platform, including open-source trends, but it does not include every software project or developer. GitHub’s report discusses both language rankings and growth.
- Composite rankings: IEEE Spectrum’s 2023 list combined eight metrics. It gathered data manually in June and July, sampled results where needed, normalized the metrics, and applied weights before combining them. IEEE Spectrum notes that the weights are subjective, so its final order reflects methodological choices as well as underlying data. IEEE Spectrum’s methodology explains the construction.
For that reason, a rank should always be read with its source and measure attached. None of these results, by themselves, says which language has the most job openings or is best for a particular project.
Which languages were gaining momentum?
Growth rates show movement within a defined platform or population; they do not tell you how widely a language is used overall. GitHub reported the following 2023 signals:
Rank #2
- TypeScript: GitHub reported 37% growth in its user base and said it passed Java for third across open-source projects on GitHub.
- Rust: GitHub reported 40% year-over-year growth.
- HCL: GitHub reported 36% year-over-year adoption growth.
- Kotlin, Rust, Go, and Lua: GitHub identified these as having stronger growth among projects created in 2023 than in overall GitHub usage.
These are GitHub-specific findings, not global estimates. A fast-growing language can still be less prevalent than an established one, and growth in new projects is a different signal from the total share of existing projects. GitHub’s Octoverse report provides the platform context for these comparisons.
How did learners’ language use differ from professionals’?
Stack Overflow’s 2023 survey separates respondents learning to code from professional developers. Their reported use differed, especially for Python and SQL:
| Language | Learning to code respondents | Professional developer respondents |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 59% | 45% |
| SQL | 37% | 52% |
| Java | 37% | 31% |
| C++ | 32% | 20% |
| C | 32% | 17% |
These figures are percentages of survey respondents in each group reporting use, not percentages of all learners or professionals. They do not measure hiring demand, proficiency, or which language someone should learn. The survey’s respondent profile and recruitment approach also matter when interpreting the results. Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023 reports these group comparisons.
What did 2023 developers think of Rust?
Rust drew strong enthusiasm as well as platform growth. More than 80% of Rust users responding to Stack Overflow’s survey wanted to use it again the following year, while GitHub reported 40% year-over-year growth for Rust on its platform. The first figure is a survey measure of desire to continue using a language; the second is GitHub’s platform-specific growth measure. Neither proves Rust is the right choice for every project or developer. Stack Overflow’s survey and GitHub’s Octoverse describe these separate signals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you use the 2023 rankings?
Use these lists as snapshots of distinct kinds of activity, not as a single league table. When you encounter a programming language ranking, check:
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Population: survey respondents, professionals, learners, repository contributors, or creators of new projects.
- Signal: reported use, repository activity, growth, or desire to keep using a language.
- Coverage: the survey’s recruitment and geographic reach, or the platform included in project data.
- Time window: the survey period, year-over-year growth interval, or date when ranking inputs were collected.
- Purpose: prevalence and momentum can inform different questions; neither alone establishes project suitability or job demand.
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