- Python remains popular for data exploration, processing and engineering
- Younger developers are still using the coding language
- Only 15% use the latest release of Python, research finds
An extensive survey of around 30,000 developers has revealed Python is still a preferred language for many programmers, with around three in four (72%) using it for work, and 86% preferring it over any other language.
The Python Developer Survey (perhaps unsurprisingly) revealed an important bit of information that ties in with Python’s ease of use – half of its users have less than two years’ experience, suggesting its user base spans younger developers.
Still, it remains unbeatable across many categories, with more programmers using Python for web development (46%) compared with previous studies (42%).
Python is an all-time favorite programming language
Python is also a popular choice when it comes to data exploration and processing (51%), artificial intelligence and machine learning (41%) and data engineering (31%).
However, there remains a broad reluctance to upgrade to the latest release, with only 15% on 3.13.
More than a combined half are still using 3.12 (35%) and 3.11 (21%), with few seeing the need to upgrade at all – 53% say their current version meets their needs and 25% note a lack of time to upgrade.
A further 27% noted compatibility issues associated with choosing newer releases, despite the promised performance improvements such as 10-15% less memory usage and 11% faster performance when upgrading from 3.11 to 3.13.
Still, the language remains crucial for an important part of the community – around one in three developers continue to open source software, including documentation and tutorials, which are among the most popular learning mechanisms for new developers (followed by videos hosted on platforms like YouTube and AI tools like ChatGPT).
Given that Python isn’t going anywhere, the need to upgrade is clear. With only 15% operating on the newest release, huge free performance gains are on the cards.
“By taking this action, you will be able to take advantage of the full potential of modern Python, from the performance benefits to the language features,” Talk Python founder Michael Kennedy explained in a blog post.