Kotlin tops the ranking of the most loved languages on StackOverflow 2024

Kotlin tops StackOverflow 2024 ranking of most loved languages

The annual StackOverflow developer survey is one of the most authoritative sources of data on sentiment in the IT community. In 2024, the results brought a surprise: the Kotlin language took first place in the "Most Loved" category, surpassing such recognized favorites as Rust and TypeScript. What lies behind this success, and why are developers increasingly choosing Kotlin?

Numbers that speak for themselves

According to the StackOverflow 2024 survey, which involved over 65,000 developers from around the world:

• 75% of respondents working with Kotlin noted that they like this language and want to continue using it.
• Kotlin surpassed Rust (74%) and TypeScript (73%) in the "most loved" ranking.
• The share of developers actively using Kotlin grew by 15% compared to 2023.

Interestingly, Kotlin also entered the top 5 languages that developers want to learn in the next 12 months.

Why did Kotlin become a favorite?

Experts highlight several key reasons for this popularity:

• Full compatibility with Java — Kotlin runs on the JVM and easily integrates with existing Java code, simplifying project migration.
• Conciseness and safety — less boilerplate code, null safety at the type level, and modern syntax make development faster and more reliable.
• Dominance in Android development — Google officially recommended Kotlin for Android back in 2019, and since then the language has become the standard for mobile applications.
• Growth in server-side development — frameworks like Ktor and Spring Boot with Kotlin support attract backend developers who value performance and convenience.
• Active community — JetBrains (the creator of Kotlin) invests in the language's development, and the number of open-source projects in Kotlin is growing exponentially.

Kotlin vs Python: is there competition?

Although our site is dedicated to Python, we cannot ignore Kotlin's success. It's important to understand: these languages rarely compete directly. Python remains a leader in Data Science, ML, and automation, while Kotlin occupies the niche of Android development, server applications, and cross-platform solutions. It is precisely specialization and convenience that have made Kotlin so loved in its ecosystem.

What's next?

According to analyst forecasts, Kotlin's popularity will continue to grow. The release of Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) allows using the same code for Android, iOS, Web, and Desktop — this opens new horizons for the language. Already now, many companies, including Pinterest, Trello, and Evernote, actively use Kotlin in production.

For Python developers, getting to know Kotlin can be an excellent way to broaden your horizons — especially if you are interested in mobile development or want to try a modern JVM language with a great ecosystem.

This article was prepared based on materials from the official StackOverflow Developer Survey 2024 report.