Top 3 Programming Languages to Learn in 2021: Python, JavaScript, Go

Data

1. Stack Overflow Survey Data

2020 global developers' "most wanted language to learn" survey results:

Link: https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2020#technology-most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-languages-wanted

Below is the 2019 data:

Link: https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019

The top three positions have not changed.

2. GitHub Statistics

The following chart shows the Q2 2020 statistics:

The two most prominent lines are JavaScript and Python.

The chart does not show Go, but the page includes a ranking table where Go's growth is significant.

Link: https://madnight.github.io/githut/#/pull_requests/2020/2

Although the author primarily works with Java, Java ranked only 9th in the Stack Overflow survey, and its trend appears flat.

Overall, the most popular languages for 2021 are Python, JavaScript, Go .

Why These Three Languages Are Popular?

Python

Its application range is vast:

Server operations staff use Python for management scripts.

Testers write test scripts in Python.

Even children learning programming use Python.

In recent years, big data and artificial intelligence have surged, and Python is well suited with abundant libraries.

Many Python users are not professional programmers; they include operations staff, testers, children, and data/AI specialists who focus on modeling and algorithms.

Python is popular because it is simple yet powerful , with concise syntax, high‑level abstractions, easy installation, cross‑platform support, and a large active community.

In short, Python is a versatile, beginner‑friendly language with clean syntax.

Learning Python is definitely beneficial.

JavaScript (Node.js)

JavaScript is indispensable for front‑end development, and Node.js extends its reach to back‑end development.

With numerous frameworks, JavaScript enables full‑stack development.

It powers not only web front‑end and back‑end but also desktop applications on Windows, macOS, Linux, and native mobile apps on iOS and Android.

Its versatility makes its popularity natural.

JavaScript is a remarkable language; learning it is highly recommended.

Go

Go is renowned for its concurrency capabilities, offering an excellent built‑in concurrency model.

Go is also simple to learn, with C‑style syntax, only 25 keywords, no classes, and cross‑platform support.

Google describes Go as "simple, joyful development of high‑performance programs".

Go has become the mainstream language for blockchain development due to its balance of performance and development speed.

Conclusion

The trend is clear: investing time in learning Python, JavaScript, and Go is a safe bet.