The state of JavaScript in 2024

You don’t need me to tell you JavaScript is the most popular programming language. Influenced by Java and released in 1995, after only 10 days of development, as of January 2024, JavaScript can be found on 98.8% of all websites.

It’s no wonder why JavaScript has gained such popularity. JavaScript’s versatility and lower barrier to entry over other programming languages make it a good first choice for programmers focusing on web development.

What caused the rise in JavaScript usage in the first place?

As previously mentioned, JavaScript was first released in 1995. It was originally developed for use in the upcoming Netscape Navigator 2 browser.

JS was never intended to become a mainstream programming language and become the standard on the web. In 2002, AOL acquired Netscape for $4.2 billion and released the browser code for Netscape Navigator to the Mozilla Foundation, and later used in Firefox, sparking the rise in JavaScript’s popularity.

Throughout the 2000s, the adoption of ECMAScript standards fueled the eventual dominance of JavaScript across the web.

Most popular JavaScript frameworks 2024

A lot of JavaScript’s success can be attributed to the vast number of frameworks and the vibrant ecosystems surrounding them.

JavaScript framework usage

Of all websites scanned, React is by far the most popular JavaScript framework in 2024, as seen on NPM Trends.

React	13,717,538
Vue	1,668,181
Svelte	43,493
Angular	128,941

It’s not just the web where JavaScript has a foothold. JavaScript runs on almost every device, such as Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, smart TVs, and more.

Surveys

It’s estimated there are around 13 million JavaScript developers worldwide.

A recent survey from Stack Overflow shows of all 87,585 respondents, 63.61% of developers use JavaScript.

A GitHub survey shows JavaScript as being the most popular language used on the platform.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say, JavaScript is here to stay.

As quoted on the Lex Fridman Postcast with John Carmack, co-founder of ID Software:

“It’s likely if aliens were to visit Earth in the future when humans are gone, much of what they find will be built with JavaScript”