RedMonk Reconsiders Stack Overflow Data in Programming Language Rankings

RedMonk, a well-known developer-focused analyst firm, has published its semi-annual ranking of the most popular programming languages, accompanied by a historical graph of trends dating back to 2012. The top languages remain mostly stable, with JavaScript continuing to dominate at the #1 spot, followed by Python and Java. Python has gained significant ground since overtaking PHP in 2017 and Java in 2020. Other notable entries include TypeScript’s rise and Ruby’s slow decline. C#, C++, CSS, and C round out the consistent performers. Since 2021, the top 10 have remained virtually unchanged, with Dart being the only recent mover, slipping from a tie with Rust into a standalone 20th place.

The report notes a concerning stagnation in movement among top-ranked languages. RedMonk attributes this partly to Stack Overflow’s declining usefulness, as it supplies half of the data used for the rankings. Since AI tools like ChatGPT became widespread in 2023, usage and question volume on Stack Overflow has drastically declined—down to roughly 10% of its peak. This trend undermines the reliability of the data as an indicator of developer interest and activity. While RedMonk has not officially removed Stack Overflow from its methodology, internal discussions are ongoing about replacing or reevaluating its weight. The company stresses the importance of long-term data while acknowledging the challenge of sourcing reliable alternatives.