What the 2022 JetBrains Python Survey Reveals About Language Trends and Tooling

Python 3 vs Python 2

The survey indicates that 7% of Python developers still use Python 2, while 93% have moved to Python 3, a slight increase from 2021 (5% Python 2, 95% Python 3). Among Python 2 users, 29% use it for data analysis, 24% for computer graphics, and 23% for DevOps.

Among Python 3 users, 45% are on version 3.10 (released two years ago) and only 2% remain on Python 3.5 or earlier.

Frameworks and Libraries

Web framework usage remains a three‑way contest among Flask, Django, and FastAPI, with all other frameworks collectively ranking below third place.

FastAPI usage has grown by 4 percentage points since last year, now adopted by a quarter of Python developers.

In database preferences, MS SQL Server and Oracle are twice as popular among data scientists compared to web developers, while most other databases see higher adoption among web developers.

Big‑data tools are used by 31% of Python developers, a 6‑point increase since 2021, reaching 42% among data scientists.

Development Tools

IDE preferences show PyCharm and VS Code as the top two choices, selected by two‑thirds of respondents. Only 14% use a single IDE, while 61% employ two to three IDEs; 26% favor PyCharm as an additional IDE and 25% choose VS Code.

Operating system trends are stable for macOS and Windows, but Linux usage has dropped by 4 points.

Documentation tools are used by 39% of Python users, with Sphinx remaining the top choice.

Regarding usage contexts, 21% of developers use Python exclusively at work, while 51% use it for both work and personal/educational projects. Overall, 85% consider Python their primary language.

Among those who list Python as their main language, 23% primarily use it for web development, while as a secondary language it is most common for data analysis (16%), DevOps (14%), and web development (13%).