TIOBE Index for May 2024: Top 10 Most Popular Programming Languages

Fortran persists at number 10 on the TIOBE Index list of the most popular programming languages in May, prompting a lot of questions from the TIOBE community about the return of this venerable language. Fortran rose in popularity recently because of its use in numerical and mathematical computing and because it is still being actively updated.

Top 10 programming languages in May 2024

The top 10 programming languages in May 2024, according to the TIOBE Programming Community index, are:

1. Python: A general-purpose programming language commonly used for backend development and data science. A good programming language for beginners.

2. C: A programming language often used in app and system development. Its syntax is similar to other popular languages, making it a useful branching-off point for beginner developers.

3. C++: Very similar to C, with the addition of classes and objects. C++ is well-suited for game and system development. It may be relatively difficult to learn.

4. Java: An exceptionally good language for AI, app and web development. Java requires relatively advanced skills to learn.

5. C#: Used in app, game and web development, C# is an object- and component-oriented programming language and is similar to the C and Java language families.

6. JavaScript: A scripting language often used for app, game and web development, as well as web servers. JavaScript is simpler and more flexible than Java, which makes it inappropriate for some programming tasks but often easier to learn.

7. Visual Basic: A programming language with a drag-and-drop user interface good for frontend and full-stack development.

8. Go: Go is a relatively easy-to-learn language good for backend development and for working with APIs and web services.

9. SQL: SQL is intended specifically for database programming.

10. Fortran: First used in the 1950s, Fortran was remarkable at the time because it could be written on any system, not just on a specific computer. It is still used today in scientific research, engineering and other cases.

SEE: Informatica PowerCenter, Microsoft Playwright and Oracle Database SQL are hot topics to learn in 2024, according to Udemy. (TechRepublic)

C++ gains popularity slightly

Along with Fortran holding on to its spot in the rankings, there were a few small changes in the top 10. Go gained 0.61 percentage points year over year, rising from tenth place in May 2023 to eighth this year. C++ rose slightly in popularity year over year, from fourth place to third, while Java (-3.53%) and Visual Basic (-1.8) fell.

Top 10 programming languages in April 2024

The top 10 programming languages in April 2024, according to the TIOBE Programming Community index, are:

1. Python
2. C
3. C++
4. Java
5. C#
6. JavaScript
7. Go
8. Visual Basic
9. SQL
10. Fortran

TIOBE’s proprietary points system takes into account which programming languages are most popular according to a variety of large search engines.

SEE: Google Cloud’s Axion data center chip enters the ARM fight. (TechRepublic)

Top 10 programming languages in March 2024

The top 10 programming languages in March 2024, according to the TIOBE Programming Community index, are:

1. Python
2. C
3. C++
4. Java
5. C#
6. JavaScript
7. SQL
8. Go
9. Scratch
10. Visual Basic

TIOBE’s proprietary points system takes into account which programming languages are most popular according to a variety of large search engines.

SEE: Learn Python with this 12-course bootcamp. (TechRepublic Academy)

Top 10 programming languages in February 2024

The top 10 programming languages in February 2024, according to the TIOBE Programming Community index, are:

1. Python
2. C
3. C++
4. Java
5. C#
6. JavaScript
7. SQL
8. Go
9. Visual Basic
10. PHP

Top 10 programming languages in January 2024

The top 10 programming languages in January 2024, according to the TIOBE Programming Community index, are:

1. Python
2. C
3. C++
4. Java
5. C#
6. JavaScript
7. PHP
8. Visual Basic
9. SQL
10. Scratch

SEE: The top ten programming languages in January 2024. (TechRepublic)

Top 10 programming languages in December 2023

In December, the top 10 programming languages remained the same as they were last month, according to TIOBE Software’s monthly list. Jansen noted that most of the top 20 programming languages lost popularity according to the TIOBE Software points system, as smaller languages became more popular and gradually moved up the rankings.

1. Python
2. C
3. C++
4. Java
5. C#
6. JavaScript
7. PHP
8. Visual Basic
9. SQL
10. Assembly Language

What is the TIOBE Index?

The TIOBE Index is an indicator of which programming languages are most popular within a given month. Its proprietor, TIOBE Software CEO Paul Jansen, notes that the index is not a prize for the “best” language or a list of in which programming language the most code has been written; instead, he uses popular search engines to determine which languages are most used among professional programmers, programming courses and third-party vendors.