We aggregated data from nine different rankings to produce the ZDNET Index of Programming Language Popularity. Here's which languages came out on top and what to make of this information.

In brief: Learning a programming language can be tricky, especially for someone new to coding. However, knowing the most popular languages may help some make a critical decision.

Python is one of the world's most popular programming languages for good reason. Its general-purpose nature makes it useful in fields as diverse as web development, data science, and even gaming.

Not only is Python the most popular programming language in the world, but it also has a huge variety of applications. It’s even used to trade stocks.

PHP, a programing language popular for web and backend development, was once one of the most popular languages. Still, it's showing signs of dropping down the rankings, according to software ...

PHP is used by 76.5% of all the websites whose server-side programming language we know. Alternatives such as ASP.net, Ruby, Java, and JavaScript don’t even come close to this share of the market.