In winning the designation for 2020, Python jumped 2.01 percentage points last year in the Tiobe Index of language popularity, edging out C++, which increased 1.99 percentage points.

A study conducted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) put Python at the top of the list of favorite languages among such contenders as Java, JavaScript, C++, and Go.

As Jansen notes, C++ hit a high point in 2003 with a 17.53% share that put it in the top three programming languages. One possible reason for the resurgence in interest in C++ is the arrival of C++20.