Python is No. 1 on the TIOBE Programming Community Index, but that does not mean it has the most production code or is the best language for every project. TIOBE measures signals such as search results, courses, skilled engineers and third-party support. Other measures tell different parts of the story: Python use rose in Stack Overflow’s 2025 survey, while TypeScript became GitHub’s most-used language in August 2025.
What TIOBE’s No. 1 ranking says—and what it does not
TIOBE describes its monthly Programming Community Index as “an indicator of the popularity of programming languages.” The index draws on estimates of skilled engineers worldwide, courses and third-party vendors, alongside results from Google, Amazon, Wikipedia, Bing and more than 20 other websites. It is best understood as a signal of visibility and ecosystem interest, not a count of software in use.
TIOBE explicitly cautions that its index is not about the best programming language or the language in which the most lines of code have been written. So the accurate claim is that Python leads this particular index—not that it has won every measure of popularity, is used by the most developers, or dominates production systems. TIOBE’s explanation of its index describes its scope and methodology.
Rankings change as the index is updated each month. TIOBE’s awards page names Python its Programming Language of the Year for 2024, and also lists it as the winner in 2021, 2020, 2018, 2010 and 2007. C# is listed as the 2025 winner. These annual awards are separate from the monthly ranking; use a dated monthly result when making a claim about Python’s current rank. Check TIOBE’s current index and awards.
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Why popularity rankings disagree
There is no single universal way to count a programming language’s popularity. A search-based index, a developer survey and a repository analysis observe different populations and behaviors. Their numbers should not be combined as though they shared a denominator.
| Measure | What it reflects | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| TIOBE Programming Community Index | Monthly visibility and ecosystem signals, including search results, courses, engineers and third-party vendors. | A census of developers, deployed applications, production code or language quality. |
| Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey | Self-reported responses from more than 49,000 participants in 177 countries; its reported language adoption rose for Python between 2024 and 2025. | Use by every developer worldwide or a direct comparison with TIOBE ratings or GitHub repository counts. |
| GitHub 2025 activity analysis | Language activity among GitHub repositories and contributors, including a separate view of AI-focused repositories. | All software development outside GitHub or the relative quality of languages. |
What other 2025 data says about Python
Stack Overflow: rising self-reported adoption
Stack Overflow’s 2025 Developer Survey drew more than 49,000 responses from 177 countries. It reports that Python adoption increased by 7 percentage points from 2024 to 2025. In the same survey release, JavaScript was reported by 66% of respondents, HTML/CSS by 62%, and SQL by 59%. Those figures describe survey responses, not a universal census of developers. See Stack Overflow’s 2025 technology results.
GitHub: TypeScript led overall activity; Python remained strong
GitHub’s analysis of 2025 activity says TypeScript became its most-used language in August 2025, overtaking Python and JavaScript. Python ranked second overall and added roughly 850,000 contributors, a 48.78% year-over-year increase. These figures describe GitHub activity, not the entire software industry. Read GitHub’s 2025 Octoverse analysis.
AI projects are a particular strength
GitHub’s AI-focused view shows a different pattern from its overall ranking: as of August 2025, nearly half of new AI projects were primarily built in Python. Its chart reports about 582,000 Python AI repositories, up 50.7% year over year. This is a category-specific measure, and should not be mistaken for Python’s overall share of GitHub projects or all software development.
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Why Python remains attractive to learners
Python’s momentum is especially visible in AI, data science and back-end development. Its ecosystem and broad community can make it easier to find libraries, learning materials and help for many common tasks. That does not make it the automatic choice for every job: the right language depends on what you want to build and the tools already used by your team or target field.
If you want a structured, project-based introduction, Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition is an introductory book from No Starch Press. Choosing a learning resource is separate from judging a language by rankings: use the book or course that helps you build the kinds of projects you want to pursue.
Is Python still worth learning?
For learners interested in AI, data analysis or back-end work, Python is a reasonable choice to investigate: survey adoption rose, GitHub contributor activity grew, and Python remains prominent in AI-focused projects. If your goal is a particular role or product, compare the language with the actual requirements rather than relying on a popularity headline.
- Use case: Check which languages are common in the kind of applications or work you want to do.
- Libraries and tools: Confirm that the ecosystem supports the frameworks, platforms and services your projects need.
- Team skills: A language already understood by the team can be more practical than a higher-ranked alternative.
- Performance requirements: Evaluate whether the language and its available implementations suit your application’s constraints.
- Hiring and community: Consider the expertise and support available in your location, organization or field.
How to read the “most popular” claim
When you see that Python is the most popular programming language, ask which source, population and time period the claim refers to. TIOBE’s monthly index is about visibility and ecosystem signals; Stack Overflow’s 2025 result reflects survey respondents; GitHub’s 2025 findings track activity on its platform, with AI repositories as a narrower category. Python can lead one measure and rank behind another without the results contradicting each other.
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