Top Programming Languages 2025

LLMs, Language Choice, and Ossification

• Several comments worry that LLMs favor popular languages (Python, JS/TS, Java), raising the barrier for niche or new languages and encouraging “vibe-coded” but convoluted solutions.
• Others note LLMs can lower adoption friction for obscure languages by acting as a better search/learning tool, even when hallucination risk remains.
• Concerns are raised about potential commercialization of LLM outputs (promoting certain tools by default) and calls for open, auditable models and better inference-time debugging.

Interpreting the Rankings: Python, Java, JS/TS

• Many are surprised by Python’s dominance; defenders point out its decades-long growth across data science, scripting, web, and now AI, plus usage by non-CS fields.
• Java’s high ranking surprises some, but multiple commenters say large enterprises, finance, and Android still run heavily on Java; it’s seen as the “new COBOL” in terms of entrenched infrastructure.
• Debate over whether JS and TS should be counted together (and similarly Java/Kotlin, JVM as a “platform family”) and what that would do to rankings.

Methodology and Data Skepticism

• Strong skepticism about IEEE’s and TIOBE’s reliance on search hits, SO, and publication counts; seen as noisy, beginner-heavy, and easily distorted.
• Job ads are proposed as a better proxy for demand, though lagging and distorted by “fake” or hype-driven postings.
• Alternative metrics mentioned: GitHub activity (e.g., Githut), package download stats, Docker image pulls.

Smaller and Niche Languages

• Surprise or amusement at rankings for Haskell, Erlang, Elixir, Raku, Prolog, LabView, VHDL, Ada, and Arduino-as-a-“language”.
• Some praise for Scala, Kotlin, Swift, Gleam, Julia, Crystal, OCaml, Zig, Rust, etc., but general acknowledgement that employment is still dominated by Java/C#/C++/Python/JS.