Python just buried Ruby, Tiobe says.

Established in 1995 and consistently updated, the Ruby programming language has seen a notable decline in its standing. In the latest Tiobe index, it has fallen to 30th place, a downturn largely attributed to Python’s surging popularity.

In 2006, Ruby was celebrated as the Tiobe language of the year for its exceptional growth in popularity. However, its fortunes have reversed dramatically, and it now teeters on the edge of falling out of the top 30, as noted by Tiobe CEO Paul Jansen. Ruby’s current March rating stands at a mere .55%, a significant dip from its 25th position just last month. Jansen explicitly stated, “Python’s widespread adoption is the primary factor behind Ruby’s decline. There is simply no longer a need for Ruby.” The language reached its peak in May 2016, securing an impressive eighth place.

Elsewhere in the latest index, SQL, now at 2%, and R, with 1.88%, have exchanged positions within the top 10, placing SQL at eighth and R at ninth. Swift has successfully rejoined the top 20, achieving a 1.04% rating, contrasting with Kotlin’s dip to 22nd place at .82%. Furthermore, Google’s Dart, which was once envisioned as a serious competitor to JavaScript, appears poised for a return to the top 20, currently holding 25th place with a .69% rating this month.

The Tiobe Programming Community Index determines language popularity through a sophisticated methodology. This formula considers various factors, including the global count of proficient engineers, available educational courses, and relevant third-party vendors for each language. Ratings are meticulously compiled using data from prominent online platforms like Google, Amazon, Bing, Wikipedia, and over two dozen other sources.

Responding to questions about potentially shifting from search engine analysis to large language models (LLMs) for index formulation, Jansen clarified in this month’s accompanying bulletin: “The answer is no.” He elaborated, “The Tiobe index fundamentally quantifies the presence of internet pages associated with a specific programming language. LLMs, in their core function, draw upon these identical sources, as they are trained on and dissect these very web pages. Consequently, at its essence, there is no substantive distinction.”

Presented below is the Tiobe index top 10 for March 2025:

1. Python, 21.25%
2. C, 11.55%
3. C++, 8.18%
4. Java, 7.99%
5. C#, 6.36%
6. JavaScript, 3.45%
7. Visual Basic, 2.5%
8. SQL, 2%
9. R, 1.88%
10. Delphi/Object Pascal, 1.8%

Meanwhile, the Pypl Popularity of Programming Language index assesses language prevalence by scrutinizing the frequency of programming tutorial searches on Google. Here are the Pypl index’s top 10 for March 2025:

1. Python, 34.87%
2. C/C++, 13.66%
3. Java, 9.82%
4. R, 6.49%
5. JavaScript, 6.49%
6. Swift, 3.5%
7. Rust, 3.08%
8. C#, 3.03%
9. PHP, 2.9%
10. Ada, 2.66%