The State of Python: Python Developers Survey 2024
The Python Software Foundation and Jetbrains recently released the results of their 2024 Python Developers Survey, which covers general Python usage trends, platforms, tools, and demographics, among other items. Responses for this survey were collected from October to November 2024, with approximately 30,000 respondents from almost 200 countries. While the full results of the survey can be found here, there were a few items that caught my eye that I wanted to expand upon.
Newer Developers
One of the standout findings from the survey is that the Python community has a significant number of newer developers. 50% of respondents to the survey had less than three years of professional programming experience, while 39% of respondents had less than three years of coding experience overall. Notably, 21% of those surveyed had less than one year of experience altogether!
In my mind, this is a great thing as it serves to remind us that Python is an accessible language for new programmers and is continuing to be the first choice for a language that a new developer picks up. This reinforces the importance of writing readable code and helping create beginner-friendly community knowledge sources. It is important to "forget what you already know" and approach the task without assuming your audience has years of knowledge or a deep background. Of course, prerequisites may be necessary and if that is the case, call those out up front so that readers know what they're getting into.
I am echoing a point made by Michael Kennedy to "remember the newbies", which is a message that inspired me to begin writing myself. If you want to know if you truly understand a topic, try teaching it to someone else and you will quickly find out the areas you may not be as fluent with. I would highly encourage you to check out the other actionable ideas that Michael calls out, as they will help you continue refining your skill set to become a better developer, mentor, and teammate in the Python community.
(Read more from Michael Kennedy's post)
2025 and Beyond
Let's keep thinking about ways to make the Python community (and programming in general) more welcoming for newcomers. If you are an experienced developer, what would have made your path to where you are now easier? Was there a particular topic that you struggled with for some time that you would have appreciated guidance on?
I have often found that if I have had a question on a programming topic, I am not the only one, though others may feel less confident to ask for help. Being open and welcoming to others helps make the community more inclusive and often helps you learn as well.
Happy programming! -Tim