TIOBE Index for August 2026: Java Nears C++ as Rust Holds No. 10
August 2026 TIOBE Index keeps the top 10 unchanged, with Java closing on C++, Rust holding No. 10, and MATLAB falling out of the top 20 after a decade. The post TIOBE Index for August 2026: Java Nears C++ as Rust Holds No. 10 appeared first on TechRepublic .
In August 2026, the TIOBE Index maintains the top 10 programming languages in the same order, with Java edging closer to C++ and Rust holding the No. 10 position. MATLAB has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time in over a decade. The TIOBE Programming Community Index tracks language popularity based on search results for skilled engineers, courses, and vendors.
Python remains the most popular language at No. 1 with 18.53%, followed by C at 11.10%. Python has seen a 7.61-point decline in its ranking since August 2025, while C has gained 2.07 points, becoming the only language among the top five to post a year-over-year increase. C++ maintains its third place at 8.62%, while Java holds the fourth spot at 8.25%.
The gap between Java and C# at No. 5 (4.09%) is narrow, with just 0.37 percentage points separating them. R and SQL follow at No. 9 and No. 8, respectively, while Rust holds the No. 10 position with 1.45%. All three languages have climbed in rank over the past year, with Rust making the largest jump, gaining eight places since August 2025.
MATLAB falls to No. 25 with a ranking of 0.71%, placing it outside the top 20 for the first time in more than a decade. TIOBE CEO Paul Jansen attributes MATLAB's decline to its paid licensing model and slower evolution compared to languages like Python, C++, and Rust, which continue to add new features and programming approaches.
Jansen expects MATLAB to require at least five places of improvement in the ranking to return to the top 20.
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