The State of Developer Ecosystem 2026: A Decade of Understanding Developers

JetBrains’ tenth State of Developer Ecosystem report, based on 28,945 developers across 198 countries and regions surveyed from May to July 2026, finds that AI agents have become routine tools, with more than half of employed developers using them for over 60% of work tasks, although organizations remain divided on how to measure their return on investment. Senior developers tend to provide agents with specifications and verification methods, while less-experienced developers are more likely to rate AI-generated solutions above their own. Despite only 18% of respondents describing local job markets as favorable, three quarters would still choose a development career again. Python, used by 65% of respondents, has surpassed JavaScript as the most widely used language, while TypeScript leads the Language Promise Index ahead of Rust and Python; Rust and Go are associated with the highest-paid skills and are among the languages developers most want to learn. PostgreSQL increased to 59% database usage, ahead of MySQL at 54%, and the survey also found that 47% of developers program as a hobby, with dog preferences narrowly exceeding cat preferences.

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