According to the latest State of Developer Ecosystem report by JetBrains, JavaScript remains the most used programming language, with 61% of developers worldwide utilizing it to create web pages. However, the report also highlights the growing popularity of TypeScript, Rust, and Python, which are expected to shape the future of software development.

The report, which surveyed 23,262 developers worldwide between May and June 2024, found that Python is the second most used programming language, with 57% of developers using it, followed by HTML/CSS with 51%, SQL with 48%, Java with 46%, and TypeScript with 37%. Notably, usage of Python and TypeScript increased by 3% each from the previous year, while C#, Go, and Rust also saw a 1% increase in adoption.

To better assess the growth prospects of programming languages, JetBrains introduced the JetBrains Language Promise Index, which considers factors such as growth in usage over the past five years, stability of growth, share of developers intending to adopt the language, and share of current users who want to adopt another language. Based on this index, TypeScript, Rust, and Python emerge as the "undisputed leaders" in terms of growth potential.

TypeScript, in particular, has seen significant growth, surging from 12% in 2017 to 35% in 2024. Python usage has also grown steadily, from 32% in 2017 to 57% in 2024. Rust, meanwhile, has seen its user base rise steadily over the past five years, from 2% in 2018 to 11% in 2024. Java usage, on the other hand, has slipped from 47% in 2017 to 46% in 2024, although it had surged to 54% in 2020.

Despite TypeScript's growth, the report notes that it is unlikely to replace JavaScript, which remains a fundamental technology in the software development industry. However, TypeScript offers several benefits over JavaScript, including early error detection during development, improved code quality, compile-time error catching, more reliable refactoring, and native support for ECMAScript 2015 (ES6) modules.

The report also highlights other trends in the developer ecosystem. Go and Rust are the languages most respondents plan to adopt, while ChatGPT is the most-tried AI coding tool, with 69% of developers having tried it. The US has the highest median salary for developers at $144,000, and most developers (38%) cited understanding user requirements as the most challenging part of their job.

In terms of storage options, open source databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite, and Redis dominate the JetBrains ecosystem. Amazon Web Services is by far the most commonly used cloud platform, with 46% of respondents using it, followed by Microsoft Azure at 17%.

The JetBrains State of Developer Ecosystem report provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of programming languages and developer trends. As the industry continues to shift towards emerging technologies and innovative solutions, it will be interesting to see how these trends shape the future of software development.