Top 20 Programming Languages of June 2025: See What’s Dominating Tech!

The Gradual Decline of SQL, Challenged by the Rise of AI

Back in 2001, SQL was among the top 10 programming languages at the time of its introduction. However, several years later, debates emerged about its nature and, consequently, its inclusion in the TIOBE index. It was later established that SQL indeed possessed all the characteristics of a programming language and deserved its place in the index, reaffirming its status as a key player in the top 10. Despite this, a slow and steady decline is now apparent.

The 12th position of SQL, marking its lowest ever in the rankings, is a focal point of discussion by Paul Jansen, chief executive officer of TIOBE Software, during this June 2025 update:

SQL will remain the backbone of databases for decades to come. However, in the rapidly growing AI sector, where data is predominantly unstructured, NoSQL databases are often more suitable.

NoSQL (which employs data interchange formats such as JSON and XML) has become a significant threat to the well-established but somewhat static SQL approach. The popularity of NoSQL is akin to the rise of dynamically typed languages like Python, as opposed to the well-defined statically typed programming languages like C++ and Java.

The Top 20 Most Popular Computer Languages in June 2025

At the top of the rankings, the positions remain unchanged, with Python (25.87%) continuing its dominance, followed closely by a group that includes C++ (10.68%), C (9.47%), and Java (8.84%). Although trailing, C#, JavaScript, and Go maintain their stability in the TIOBE index.

Noteworthy performances in June include the impressive climbs of Ada (11th, +14 places), an object-oriented programming language dating back to the 1980s and primarily used in real-time environments, as well as Perl (13th, +14 places) and R (14th, +7 places).

1. Python (= same position as June 2024)
2. C++ (=)
3. C (=)
4. Java (=)
5. C# (=)
6. JavaScript (=)
7. Go (=)
8. Visual Basic (+1)
9. Delphi/Object Pascal (+2)
10. Fortran (=)
11. Ada (+14)
12. SQL (-4)
13. Perl (+14)
14. R (+7)
15. PHP (=)
16. Scratch (=)
17. MATLAB (-3)
18. Rust (-1)
19. Assembly language (-6)
20. COBOL (=)

Explore the complete ranking

What Criteria Does the TIOBE Index Use?

Established in 2002 and updated monthly, the TIOBE index assesses the popularity of programming languages based on the number of internet searches. It gathers data from about twenty platforms, including Google, Bing, Amazon, and Wikipedia.

While it does not determine the ranking of the best languages or their frequency of use in production, it provides a snapshot of current trends in the computing field. It is particularly valuable for developers to gauge the relevance of certain languages, whether for acquiring new skills or identifying technologies to prioritize in future projects.