Javascript is the KING of web development. The world’s top websites or web applications (Microsoft, Groupon, PayPal, Netflix) you see, and have been using every day are built on JavaScript.
But it’s not just limited to web development because of its versatility. Web developers can use this programming language for mobile applications, server-side apps, desktops, and AI apps.
But what makes it different from other programming languages?
It meets the changing expectations of modern consumers by powering developers to create online applications that are full of dynamic experiences and interactivity. On top of that, users can’t live their future with bland and static websites that have no interactivity.
Let’s discuss some of the important Javascript statistics, its usage, popularity, and what industries are leveraging it to its full potential.
Brenden Eich introduced JavaScript in 1995 as a client-side programming language. It was earlier known as LiveScript.
One of the most used programming languages in the world is JavaScript. It’s a scripting language that web developers use for creating web pages, applications, game servers, etc.
They use it primarily for adding dynamic elements on websites that can’t be added with CSS or HTML.
If you come across any dynamic element on the website, slideshows, or any other interactive feature, all THANKS to the JavaScript framework.
JavaScript is becoming a popular scripting language for front-end web applications. This programming language is a game changer for developers as they can add interactivity to web pages, enable animation, and do real-time content updates.
As of 14 June 2024, nearly 98.8% of websites use JavaScript.
A stack overflow survey was conducted in 2023 which states that JavaScript is the most popular used client-side programming language on the internet.
The findings of the survey signify that 63.61% of developers prefer using this language.
So, this means that it is in huge demand nowadays because it can be used in both ways on the client side and server side.
Furthermore, there are several use cases of JavaScript such as Mobile development, web apps, server applications, front-end web development, etc.
1. Javascript is used by 98.8% of websites as client-side programming. This framework supports all browsers including Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, Edge, etc.
Global brands (Google, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) use JavaScript to develop compelling websites.
2. In India, 584,129 websites use JavaScript. 16,988,910 websites in the US are using JavaScript.
3.57% of Professional JavaScript developers use the React library for building interactive web applications. While 48% of people show their interest in learning this framework because of massive growth and increasing popularity.
4. The average salary of a JavaScript developer in India is 6,35,000 per year. The salary varies depending on the expertise level of the programmer. In the US, the average salary of a JavaScript developer is $102,449.
5. The TIOBE programming community index considers Python as the #1 programming language with a rating of 15.39% in June 2024. It has even surpassed JavaScript which has a 3.32% rating.
6. A stack overflow report in 2023 states that professional developers consider JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL as the 3 most popular technologies. They’ve been using it for a while and will continue to use it in the future.
7. People who are keen to learn coding show their interest in HTML/CSS (60.73%) and JavaScript (60.51%).
These 2 programming languages are in line with each other because people who are learning to code want to start their development journey by dipping their toes in HTML/CSS and JavaScript.
8. Around 3,491,141 websites worldwide rely on Vue which is the most popular JavaScript framework because it offers collaborative support to developers along with a simple learning curve.
9. 69.6% of the JavaScript developers go with the Next.js framework as the backend framework and it surpasses Nuxt and Express.
10. There has been a reduction in the number of Javascript developers from 63% in 2021 to 55% in 2023.
11. Javascript accounts for 95.86% of the market share compared to Java simply because it has more users. These users are based out of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany.
12. According to the Popularity of Programming Language Index (PIYPL), Javascript ranks at #3 place as the most popular programming language worldwide. The index decides the ranking of content based on how often someone searches for a language tutorial on Google.
13. MATLAB has 23 developer stacks while Javascript has 6471 tech stacks.
14. Javascript works across all browsers including Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox, and Opera.
15. Around 97% of mobile app developers use JavaScript for developing cross-platform apps that use a single codebase. JavaScript offers immense potential in the mobile app development landscape.
16. How popular is JavaScript?
In the above graph, you can see that JavaScript popularity has dipped slightly from 77% to 57% from 2019 to 2024. But that doesn’t mean that the demand for JavaScript developers has reduced because Google trends state what people search on Google.
Although these positions fluctuate over the period, if you look at the stack overflow survey report, the results state that JavaScript remains the top priority for developers in web development than any other programming language.
In the coming years, developers will continue using this language for creating websites and web applications as it’s the backbone of web development.
17. Market share of JavaScript
JavaScript captures a larger market share (94.81%) as compared to other programming languages. On top of that, nearly 70% of websites use JavaScript for client-server applications.
18. Top frameworks/libraries of JavaScript
The most popular JavaScript library that professional developers use is Node.js. JavaScript frameworks save hours for developers to create mobile or web applications as it has prewritten code and readymade modules.
Consider these frameworks as ready-made templates that simplify your development process, and you don’t need to start from scratch to create new features.
19. How many companies are using JavaScript?
Around 13289607 companies have been using the JavaScript tool in 2024.
20. What industries are using JavaScript?
The top 3 industries that have been using JavaScript programming language are Marketing, social media, and design.
With increasing competition worldwide, businesses want to develop advanced websites and applications and JavaScript fulfills enterprise needs.
21. Which countries use JavaScript?
JavaScript is used mostly in the United States followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
5,818,318 users use the JavaScript programming language in the US. In Germany, 1,033,073 users use it, and around 905,264 use JavaScript in the United Kingdom.
22. How Javascript is making waves in the world of web development?
Although there are plenty of backend frameworks and faster build tools, JavaScript holds a promising future in the web development domain.
The journey of JavaScript started as a simple scripting language to now becoming a modern tool for web developers.
Developers use JavaScript to add interactivity to websites and applications so they can provide a seamless user experience. Most websites use JavaScript as a client-side programming language.
You can even use this scripting language for creating dynamic content on web pages.
You can make the best out of JavaScript as it supports a vast library of frameworks, interacts seamlessly with HTML and CSS, and has advanced plugins such as Silverlight or Flash and DOM.
In the graph below, you can see that 18.8% of respondents have strongly agreed that JavaScript is moving in the right direction while 57.8% of respondents believe that JavaScript is making waves, and its popularity will continue growing in the future.
23. Why is Typescript becoming more popular than JavaScript?
Microsoft launched Typescript in 2012. Typescript is an advanced version of JavaScript which covers all the features of JavaScript and covers some advanced functionalities.
JavaScript is more popular for the front-end side of things and Typescript is used extensively for the front and backend side of web development.
The only difference between JavaScript and Typescript is that developers can use the latter for complex and large-scale web projects.
According to the Stack overflow developer survey, it’s the second most loved programming language after JavaScript. The survey states that nearly 40% of developers have already started using this language because of its simplicity and easy code maintainability.
Now, a lot of developers are shifting from JavaScript to Typescript for front-end and back-end development. Popular companies that use Typescript include Reddit, Slack, Asana, GitHub, Lyft, etc.
Moreover, Typescript is growing at such a faster pace that the findings of the stack overflow survey state that it’s among the top 4 programming languages.
Additionally, 73.46% of developers are in love with this programming language, worked extensively in the past year, and will continue to work over the next year.
24. Usage of JavaScript: React is taking the front seat
React is becoming the most loved and wanted JavaScript framework since 2014 followed by Node.js and jQuery. Developers love using this framework as it continues to meet their needs.
It uses a code reusability feature where you write code once and use it across multiple platforms.
25. The demand for node.js is increasing
Node.js is a backend server that is used for running web applications in a run-time environment.
It’s an open-source and cross-platform framework for running JavaScript code.
It’s great for building web and server-side applications.
In the graph below, you can see that there have been massive spikes in the download and installation rates of node.js.
As a business owner, if you want to develop streaming apps, complex single-page applications, real-time chats, server-side applications, and microservices architecture, then Node.js is the lucrative option for you.
26. Javascript usage: Vue
Another popular JavaScript framework is Vue which is known for building web apps. It has an easy learning curve, supports a big community, lightweight framework, and delivers high performance.
Now, the Vue.js 3.2 version has come out with several new features-
6493765 websites use Vue.js in the world.
27. Usage of JavaScript: Svelte is gaining popularity
Svelte is the most loved JavaScript web-based framework used for developing web applications. Being an open-source framework, it’s gaining huge popularity and is growing by leaps and bounds.
As per the Stack Overflow survey report, Svelte takes the top spot, and 71.14% of developers love using this web framework. Although it’s a newly launched framework, it’s gaining huge attention from the developer’s side.
28. Which JavaScript features are on the rise?
JavaScript usage has been increasing because of the addition of new features which invites more developers to experiment with this framework.
A state of Javascript report 2022 states that –
29. Usage of unit testing in JavaScript
The most popular testing frameworks that JavaScript developers use is Vitest, Playwright, Jest, Storybook, Jasmine, and others.
The below graph indicates that 32% of JavaScript developers do not write unit tests. While 40% of respondents state that they use Jest as a unit testing framework.
15% use Cypress followed by Mocha, Vitest, and then Playwright.
30. The most common use case of JavaScript
98% of developers use JavaScript for front-end development purposes while 65% of them use it to meet their back-end-related needs.
31. Which sites are using JavaScript?
Various popular sites use JavaScript for web development such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Netflix, YouTube, etc.
32. JavaScript in data visualization
JavaScript-based data visualization tools are now becoming mainstream in simplifying complex information into visuals such as charts and graphs.
D3.js and Chart.js are the most popular chart libraries that developers use because of their ease of use, support variety of charts, and help in data-driven visualizations.
33. Pain points of JavaScript
The biggest challenge that JavaScript developers face is managing dependencies which becomes a nightmare when working on large-scale projects.
When they’ve too many dependencies in a project, it causes performance issues or even breaks the system.
The other issue that developers might face is deciding which architecture they should go with. Choosing the wrong code architecture creates difficulties in terms of scalability.
34. Whether JavaScript will become AI-oriented or not?
Many experts say that JavaScript has become the front-runner in the world of AI due to its simplicity and versatility. Developers can leverage AI capabilities to build top-notch web applications.
In the future, developers can combine their AI knowledge with JavaScript expertise to solve complex problems of businesses. That’s possible by building smart and intelligent systems that can be integrated into web-based platforms.
We’ve listed some important JavaScript usage statistics you should know in 2024. To drive more business revenue and crush your competitors, you should know what the latest trends and best practices are going on in the web development domain.
In the fast-paced world of digitalization, you can fine-tune your web development strategies by hopping on these current trends and market insights.
JavaScript isn’t going anywhere, and its popularity is likely to grow soon. Thanks to JavaScript capabilities, developers can now create more interactive and dynamic websites.
As Javascript is a versatile language and a good fit for client-side operations, it’s becoming MAINSTREAM in the web development landscape.