New statistics from the TIOBE programming community show that Python has overtaken Java to become the second most popular programming language in the world, behind only the perennial favorite, C++. According to the report, Python’s popularity has increased over the past year due to its increased use in data science and machine learning software development projects across industries worldwide.
This news may come as no surprise to anyone who’s been keeping tabs on TIOBE’s recent programming language rankings, which have consistently shown Python taking over second place from Java over the past few months.
What is Python?
Python is a powerful, versatile programming language that is widely used in many industries today. Python is easy to learn for beginners and has many advanced features for experienced programmers. Python is open-source, meaning that anyone can contribute to its development. Python overtook Java to become the second-most popular programming language in 2019. The data comes from TIOBE Index, which ranks languages according to their popularity based on search engine results and other metrics.
The index says it uses all available data sources worldwide such as Google Search, Wikipedia rank, job offers, and more. Python was ranked number three last year but moved up to number two this year with 20% of searches going toward the language. In comparison, Java only accounted for 18% of searches in 2018. For the first time ever, Python was also ranked higher than C++ and Visual Basic, coming in at number five behind HTML.
Despite having higher numbers than both C++ and Visual Basic, however, JavaScript still reigns supreme at 30%. It’s also worth noting that Python hasn’t always been so popular: It went from being ranked 10th in 2011 to third in 2016 before jumping up to second this year. Developers use Python for web applications, video games, scientific computing and embedded systems programming. As of September 3rd, 2019, the current version of Python is 3.7.0
Why does it matter?
Python has now overtaken Java as the second-most popular programming language, according to the TIOBE Index. This is a significant milestone for Python, which has been steadily gaining popularity over the past few years. In the index, Python and Java are neck and neck with an index of 3.77%.
What’s next?: Given that many people are still new to coding in general, Python may be here to stay and grow in popularity. We can only speculate about what might happen if this trend continues, but one thing is certain: there will be more jobs available for programmers who know Python!
I Want To Learn Python!: So, now you want to learn Python? There are plenty of options out there, including books and online courses. Some of them focus on education whereas others focus on professional skills development for software developers. Where do you begin? The first step is to decide how much time you’re willing to invest and your skill level. If you’re looking for something quick, then try Code academy or Coursera where you can complete the course at your own pace (these don’t require any upfront investment).
However, if you have some money to spend or are looking for additional resources beyond these free websites, check out Udacity or Treehouse (for beginners) or Treehouse Premium (for advanced learners). Once you’ve made a decision, it’s time to get started. No matter what path you choose, make sure it aligns with your goals and lifestyle.
What does this mean for you?
Python has been on the rise for some time now, and this news confirms that it is here to stay. If you’re a Python programmer, this means that your skills are in high demand. And if you’re not a Python programmer, now is a great time to learn. With Python becoming more popular, there are more resources and libraries available, making it easier than ever to get started. So what are you waiting for?
Start learning Python today! One of the best ways to do so is with DataCamp’s free intro courses for programming beginners. Once you know how to code with Python, start putting your new skills into practice by enrolling in one of our data science courses. You’ll be able to work with real-world datasets from sources like Google Analytics or NASA’s earth observation program, NASA EOSDIS.
If you have any questions about Python or DataCamp courses, don’t hesitate to contact us at
