Which Languages Will Lead 2024? JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Insights

JetBrains recently published its annual Developer Ecosystem Report, highlighting current trends in software development.

The report introduces a new "Language Outlook Index" that ranks languages based on growth, stability, and adoption intent.

Since 2017, JavaScript has consistently topped the list, used by 61% of respondents. However, TypeScript, Rust, and Python have shown steady year‑over‑year growth, reflecting their versatility across domains.

TypeScript usage rose from 12% in 2017 to 37% in 2024; Python grew from 32% to 57%; and Rust increased from 2% in 2018 to 11% in 2024.

JetBrains notes that TypeScript’s advantages over JavaScript include early error detection, higher code quality, easier long‑term maintenance, compile‑time error catching, safer refactoring, and native support for ES6 modules.

The report also examined overall AI usage in software development. Nearly 80% of companies allow third‑party AI tools or impose no formal restrictions, indicating rising acceptance of AI.

Additionally, 18% of developers have begun integrating AI features into their product lines, and 28% of respondents measure both developer productivity and developer experience (DevEx).

Most developers (67%) believe team leads should be responsible for productivity and experience, while 17% think a platform engineering team should handle it, and 16% suggest dedicated experts or teams.

JetBrains emphasizes that developer experience is closely tied to software delivery effectiveness, prompting companies to evaluate DevEx and productivity more rigorously.

Other notable findings include:

8% of developers have tried coding in VR.

Scala, Go, Kotlin, and Rust are the highest‑paying languages in the North American market.

Desktop development remains more common than mobile development.

For the full report, visit JetBrains Developer Ecosystem 2024 .