A Multi-Source Comparative Analysis of Programming Language Popularity: Evidence from TIOBE, GitHub, and Stack Overflow (2020–2025)

Abstract

Programming language popularity is a key factor that influences software development practices and the adoption of technologies in both academic and industrial environments. This study provides a comparative analysis of programming language popularity by combining data from three major sources: the TIOBE Index, GitHub activity, and Stack Overflow developer surveys. The analysis focuses on the period from 2020 to 2025 and examines the top five programming languages across these platforms.

   The results identify both common trends and notable variations among the different data sources. Python shows a consistent increase in popularity, largely driven by its widespread use in areas such as artificial intelligence and data science. JavaScript continues to perform strongly in GitHub and Stack Overflow due to its essential role in web development, while languages such as Java and C maintain stable positions in the TIOBE Index, reflecting their ongoing importance in enterprise and system-level applications.

   To gain deeper insights, the study employs normalized trend analysis and cross-platform comparisons, emphasizing the multi-dimensional nature of programming language popularity. The findings indicate that no single metric is sufficient to fully represent popularity, as each data source captures different dimensions, including visibility, practical usage, and developer preferences.              

   Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of programming language trends and provides useful insights for developers, researchers, and organizations when selecting technologies in a continuously evolving computing landscape.