According to the latest report from Slashdata’s Developer Nation, the programming language Rust has shown unprecedented growth over the past two years. The number of developers using Rust has doubled, reaching 25.2 million active developers globally. This growth indicates a rising interest in languages that offer high performance and reliable memory management mechanisms, with JavaScript still reigning supreme in web development and other sectors.
The Rust community has expanded significantly, increasing from two million in the first quarter of 2022 to four million in the first quarter of 2024. The growth rate over the past 12 months has been recorded at 33%, as outlined in the latest Slashdata report covering the first quarter of 2024.
Developers have been drawn to Rust for its robust memory management capabilities and high performance, making it a popular choice among the developer community. Concerns surrounding cybersecurity have also fueled interest in Rust, with reports suggesting that the US and its international partners are actively promoting the adoption of programming languages with secure memory management similar to Rust.
While Rust is not the only language capable of ensuring memory management safety, its combination of high performance and built-in error protection mechanisms make it an appealing option for an increasing number of developers. The Rust Foundation, led by Executive Director Rebecca Rumbul, believes that Rust is a powerful tool for addressing critical security vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure and is dedicated to enhancing Rust’s security through initiatives like the security program.
Despite the rapid growth of Rust, JavaScript continues to maintain its dominance in the programming landscape with over 25 million active developers worldwide. The report suggests that JavaScript’s prominent position is unlikely to change in the near future, as evidenced by a 4 million increase in its developer community over the past year, mirroring the global trend in developer growth.