The TIOBE ranking’s top positions have remained consistent over the past year, with Julia now on the verge of re-entering the top 20.
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- Julia approaches the top 20
- The top 20 programming languages in September 2026
- Criteria for the TIOBE index ranking
Julia Approaches the Top 20
In September 2026, like most times, the top of the ranking sees little change. Over the year, only C and C++ have switched places (now 2nd and 3rd respectively), while Python maintains a clear lead despite a slight decline in its score.
This month, Paul Jansen, CEO of TIOBE Software, focuses on Julia. The language first entered the top 20 in the summer of 2023. It is now close to making a return. Jansen notes that the language, like Python and R, is “deeply embedded in numerical computing, scientific computing, modeling, and data processing”. However, it struggles to expand beyond its niche.
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Is Julia here to stay? It’s hard to say. For now, Julia remains confined to niche areas and has not yet managed to become a mainstream programming language. It is fast, indeed, but there are faster languages. It is relatively easy to learn, but many alternatives are just as easy.
Top 20 Programming Languages as of September 2026
According to Paul Jansen, “Julia has taken some of MATLAB’s territory”. MATLAB, previously noted for its decline, drops another two spots this month. Lower in the rankings, Perl and Ruby exit the top 20, making way for Ada and Objective-C, which show a notable improvement this month.
Other movements are noted elsewhere in the chart. SQL, R, and Rust solidify their positions in the top 10, while Go and Delphi/Object Pascal each drop four places. Towards the bottom, Swift and particularly Objective-C, which climbs ten places, stand out.
Here are the 20 most popular programming languages among developers in September 2026:
- Python (= same position as September 2025)
- C (+1)
- C++ (-1)
- Java (=)
- C# (=)
- JavaScript (=)
- Visual Basic (=)
- SQL (+3)
- R (+4)
- Rust (+8)
- Fortran (+1)
- Go (-4)
- Delphi/Object Pascal (-4)
- PHP (+1)
- Scratch (+1)
- Assembly language (+1)
- Ada (-3)
- Swift (+7)
- Objective-C (+10)
- COBOL (+2)
View the full ranking
Criteria for the TIOBE Index Ranking
The TIOBE index has been around since 2002. Updated monthly, it measures the popularity of programming languages based on the volume of search queries related to them across about twenty search engines, including Google, Wikipedia, Bing, and Amazon. The ranking does not claim to identify the best language, nor the one that produces the most code, but rather the one that generates the most interest.
Primarily, it serves as a monitoring tool: it helps verify whether programming skills are current or aids in making strategic decisions about which programming language to choose for a new software project.
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Jordan Park writes in-depth reviews and editorial opinion pieces for Touch Reviews. With a background in UI/UX design, Jordan offers a unique perspective on device usability and user experience across smartphones, tablets, and mobile software.