Top 10 Programming Languages in 2021

Nitin G
7 min readApr 14, 2021

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With the whirlwind development of technologies like Automation, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, etc., the world is evolving and becoming smarter day by day. And the heart of this development is programming languages. Labour Statistics predict that there is about to be a growth of 21% in programming jobs in the coming decade. This average is four times of all occupations combined. If you have no prior experience in programming and can’t decide where to begin your journey, we’ve made it simple for you by listing the top 10 programming languages of 2021 that you can specialise in to become a professional coder.

1. Python

Python is one of the fastest developing general-purpose, high-level programming languages. It works with an emphasis on code readability. It has some very notable features such as open-source programming language, easy integration with web services, user-friendly data structures, community development, extensive support modules, and GUI-based desktop application. Some of the popular frameworks of Python include Django, Pyramid, and Flask.

Python is the most preferred programming language for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, and Analytics. It has a wide range of applications, from making video games to 2D imaging and 3D animation. It is used by top-rated companies such as Cisco, Google, Quora, Dropbox, Mozilla, HP, Qualcomm, IBM, and many more.

2. JavaScript

Javascript is the programming language that is responsible for building the internet, along with HTML and CSS. It is a big deal as it is the universal language of web developers. Javascript is a scripting language that is both feature-rich and object-based and features a crisp syntax and synchronous event handling. These features have made Javascript widely popular in web development. It has multiple features helping in both frontend and backend development.

A few popular frameworks of Javascript include Node.js, Angular, Vue, Meteor, and React.js. The majority of tech giants in the market use Javascript to create interactive web pages and display dynamic content to users. Some of these companies include Accenture, Google, Facebook, Dell, SAP, and many more.

3. Java

Java is the most commonly used programming language in use today, which is quite impressive considering that it is one of the oldest languages. Some of the most common games and web pages use Java code to work. One of the most important features of Java that makes it so popular is, it is platform-independent, i.e. it is scalable and portable across multiple platforms. You can “write once, work anywhere”(WORA).

Java has commendable features such as top-notch security, high performance, efficient memory management, and backward compatibility. Some of the popular frameworks of Java include Hibernate, Strut, and Spring. Barclays, HCL, and Capital One are some of the popular users of Java.

4. C++

C++ is the successor or sequel of C. It is the root of many programming languages such as Java, Javascript, and C#, making it the world’s oldest programming language of all. It is simple, powerful, reliable, has a structured approach, and gives high performance even in critical conditions. C++ is mostly used in mobile applications, gaming, virtual reality, computer graphics, scripting, etc.

Some of the popular frameworks of C++ include MFC, GNOME, KDE, .net, and QT. You can find C++ in a wide range of applications like Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Photoshop, Google Chromium, MapReduce, and MySQL database. eBay, Huawei, PhonePe, IBM, and Spotify are the top recruiters of C++ developers.

5. GoLang

GoLang is a programming language developed by Google. It is one of the newest competitors in the programming field. GoLang makes it very easy to develop secure, simple, and productive software. It has a set of inbuilt development tools, and it integrates the best features of object-oriented and functional programming.

Some of the popular frameworks of GoLang include Revel and Beego. If you have a command over GoLang and want to pursue a career in this programming language, you can aim for some giant corporations like Walmart, Siemens, Dell, and Springboard.

6. C#

C# is created by Microsoft and is considered one of the best and strongest programming languages in the Dot NET framework. It gives you a broad programming foundation because it applies to Java, PHP, Objective-C, and more. This makes it a powerful and flexible language. The language is a blend of C++ and java but is closer to C++ than java. Many popular companies like Dell, Bing, and Market Watch are using C# for backend operations on their websites. Microsoft Visual C++ aids C# in making applications for Android, Windows, and IoS. The popular frameworks of C# include ‘.Net’ and Xamarin. Capgemini, Philips, and SAP labs are the best companies you can work for if you have a professional knowledge of C#.

7. SQL

SQL, also known as Structured Query Language, is used to interact with databases and hence is a programming language of special-purpose. It analyses and understands fields of data within various databases within tables. SQL has been used to make personalised high-performance databases by various fortune 500 companies to study data and perform analysis.

SQL has more than 260,000 repositories on Github, and due to this reason, it outshines the popularity of many languages in the Data Analytics field. The only popular framework of this programming language is SQL. Big corporations such as Uber, AirB&b, Google, Netflix, and Amazon, use it as a foundational querying platform.

8. Dart

Dart is also a programming language developed by Google. It is an open-source programming language that is iterative and easy to learn. It is meant for both browser-side and server-side programming.

Dart enables you to create a single application that can be used by the user on both iOS and Android platforms. Thus, Dart can facilitate code sharing on different platforms between various mobile applications. One of the popular frameworks of this language is Flutter. Companies such as Google, AirB&B, HP, Apple, Motorola use Dart for constructing mobile applications.

9. R

R was initially specially designed for statistical computing by statisticians. It is thus also called the “lingua franca of statistics.” It is an open-source programming language that has features like cross-platform compatibility. Interactive web pages can be created easily using R. As technology advances, enormous and more complex data is collected by the companies and R is being used by many to analyse this data correctly.

R comes with over 6 million repositories on GitHub with 10,000+ packages. Some companies that use R include Google, Mu Sigma, Twitter, and many more.

10. PHP

Of all the server-side programming languages that we know, PHP is used by almost 79% of them. It is fast, simple, and platform-independent. It is mainly advised to be used for data-heavy applications and websites which are dynamic in nature. It has over 6,31,000 repositories on GitHub and a community of 5.9M people to back it up.

The most popular frameworks of PHP include CakePHP, Symfony, Phalcon, and Larawell. Many high-tech companies like Wikipedia, Facebook, and Yahoo use PHP programming language.

Writing a computer program has to be one of the most valuable skills to acquire in the present market. In fact, it is a vital prerequisite for IT jobs and almost all technical (technology-related) jobs. As the digital space expands, the job opportunities for skilled programmers and developers also increases significantly.

Thus, if you want to capitalise on this emerging opportunity and master multiple programming languages, you should check out the Executive PG Programme In Software Development, Specialisation In Full Stack Development(from IIITB).

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