JavaDevelopment

The TIOBE Index for October 2026 places Java 4th with an 8.41% rating, up 0.06 points on October 2025. Java has stayed in the top four throughout the past year, three decades after its launch.

The top five

What stands out

• Java is closing on C++. The gap between 3rd and 4th place is under half a percentage point.
• Java held steady while others fell. Python and C# lost ground over the year, but Java edged up.
• The method changed. TIOBE added Mandarin Chinese search terms this cycle, so comparisons with earlier months need care.

Why this matters for your business

A steady ranking means a deep talent pool, long-term vendor support and a mature ecosystem of frameworks such as Spring and Jakarta EE. Java still powers back-end systems in banking, insurance, retail and logistics. Its six-month release cycle, now at JDK 27, keeps it current for cloud and AI-enabled workloads.

Most companies hire Java developers at exactly this point, when a release or a market shift makes the roadmap clearer.

Building or modernising on Java? Nestack provides dedicated Java developers and end-to-end outsourced development.

The 2027 Java calendar is set. The year's biggest moment is likely JavaOne in March, just two weeks after JDK 28 arrives on 9 March 2027. Here are the events our team is watching.

Highlights

• JavaOne (23–25 March). Oracle's flagship Java event. Expect JDK 28 deep dives, including value objects and ahead-of-time compilation.
• Jfokus (8–10 February). Sweden's largest developer conference opens the year with strong Java and JVM tracks.
• Devoxx Belgium (4–8 October). Europe's largest Java community event. It lands just after JDK 29, expected in September 2027.

Still to come in 2026

Two highlights remain this year: J-Fall (11–12 November, Ede, Netherlands) and JakartaOne Livestream (1 December, online).

Whether you hire Java developers in-house or offshore, this is the version and the roadmap to build against.

Want to put the latest Java features to work? Nestack's Java developers keep pace with every release.

Two support deadlines passed quietly this autumn. In September 2026, Oracle's Premier Support for Java 17 came to an end. Around the same time, free updates for Oracle JDK 21 under Oracle's No-Fee Terms and Conditions ended, because they stop one year after the next LTS ships; from the October 2026 update, Oracle JDK 21 updates come under the OTN licence, which requires a subscription for production use. If your systems run either version, now is the time to check your position.

Where each version stands

What this means

• Java 17 moves to Extended Support. Oracle patches continue until 2029 for Java SE subscribers. Free OpenJDK builds from other vendors remain available.
• New Oracle JDK 21 updates now need a subscription in production. Teams that stayed on Oracle's free build should either buy a Java SE subscription or switch to a free OpenJDK distribution.
• Java 25 is the long-term target. With Premier Support to 2030, it is the version to plan around.

Three sensible options

1. Upgrade to Java 25 LTS. The cleanest route for applications on Java 17 or 21.
2. Switch to a free OpenJDK build. Distributions such as Eclipse Temurin, Amazon Corretto or Azul Zulu offer long-term updates at no cost.
3. Stay and pay. Keep Java 17 under Extended Support if an upgrade is not possible this year.

Businesses that hire Java developers on a short engagement often use news like this to decide what to tackle first.

Unsure which Java version your systems run, or how much the upgrade will take? Nestack audits Java estates and plans upgrades with minimal downtime.

The frameworks behind most enterprise Java applications have all stepped up a generation in the past year. If your team is still on Spring Boot 3 or Jakarta EE 10, the gap is now worth closing.

Spring Boot 4

Spring Boot 4.0 shipped in November 2025 and 4.1 followed in June 2026; the current patch is 4.1.2 (22 October 2026), with 4.2 expected in November 2026. The 4.x line is built on Spring Framework 7, Jakarta EE 11, Jackson 3 and JUnit 6. Java 17 remains the minimum, and Java 25 LTS is fully supported. Highlights include better modularity, stronger observability tooling and a refined testing setup.

Jakarta EE 11 and 12

Jakarta EE 11 is the first platform release since 2017 to add a brand-new specification: Jakarta Data 1.0, a simpler way to work with databases. It also updates REST, Security, Expression Language and Pages, and removes all optional features so every compliant server behaves the same way.

The Jakarta EE 12 Core Profile is planned for release in time for the JakartaOne Livestream on 1 December 2026, with the full platform targeted for 2027. Expect it to align with Java 21 and 25 features.

Why it matters for your projects

• Security and support. Open-source support for Spring Boot 3.x ended on 30 June 2026. Staying current keeps patches flowing.
• Performance. Framework 7 and Java 25 together bring virtual threads, faster startup and lower memory use.
• Hiring. Developers increasingly expect the current stack. Legacy stacks narrow the talent pool.

Planning the move

Most Spring Boot 3 applications upgrade to 4 with limited code change, but the Jackson 3 and JUnit 6 jumps need testing. Budget a short migration sprint per service and move the shared libraries first.

This is usually the moment businesses hire Java developers to review their options and the cost of staying behind.

Running on an older Spring or Jakarta EE stack? Nestack upgrades enterprise Java applications to the current generation with full regression testing.

Two major developer surveys landed in 2026, and JetBrains' latest ecosystem survey fills in the picture. Together they show a language that is still everywhere in enterprise, still growing, and now facing a clear question about AI-assisted development.

The numbers

The AI gap

Octoverse found that only about 21% of merged Java pull requests showed signs of AI involvement, against 44% for TypeScript and 41% for Python. Java's strict typing and large legacy codebases make AI assistance harder to apply well, not impossible. Teams that pair AI tools with strong code review and test coverage are already closing that gap.

What this means for hiring and projects

• Java talent is plentiful. A third of professional developers work in it as a primary language.
• Java keeps growing, just more slowly. Contributor growth of 30% a year is solid for a 30-year-old platform.
• AI-ready Java teams are rare and valuable. Developers who can use AI tooling responsibly on Java codebases are in short supply.

Teams that hire Java developers for work like this should look for hands-on experience with the current Java release, not just familiarity with the older one.

Want a Java team that already works this way? Nestack's developers combine deep Java experience with AI-assisted workflows, code review and automated testing.

The latest release of the Java platform is Java SE 23, which reached General Availability on September 17, 2024. This release includes several enhancements aimed at improving developer productivity and application performance

Enhanced Code Expressiveness

JDK 23's improved primitive pattern matching simplifies instanceof and switch statements, enabling Java developers to write cleaner, more readable code, reducing boilerplate and minimizing potential errors.

Leverage ZGC Generational Mode

Java developers can achieve significant performance gains in large-scale applications with JDK 23's optimized Z Garbage Collector (ZGC) generational mode, resulting in faster and more responsive software.

Simplified Module Imports

JDK 23 introduces new module import declarations, empowering Java developers to efficiently manage dependencies in large projects, enhancing maintainability and scalability for enterprise-level development.

According to the TIOBE Index for February 2025, Java holds the third position among the most popular programming languages, with a rating of 10.66%. Python leads at 23.88%, followed by C++ at 11.37%. Notably, Java has seen a year-over-year increase of 1.79% in its rating.

With 90%+ adoption among Fortune 500 companies, Java Developers play a crucial role in enterprise software development. Java's robust nature, platform independence and expansive ecosystem empower businesses to develop and maintain mission-critical systems, driving efficiency and innovation across industries.

The job market for Java Developers is thriving, with 40% of recruiters actively seeking professionals with Java expertise. This high demand underscores Java’s vital role in software development, cloud computing, and mobile applications. For aspiring and experienced Java Developers, this presents exceptional career opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge technology and advance in a rapidly evolving industry.

Java developer events are scheduled globally, offering opportunities for learning, networking and collaboration. Here are some upcoming events:

JavaOne 2025

Scheduled for March 18–20, 2025, in Redwood Shores, California, JavaOne 2025 celebrates the launch of Java 24 and the 30th anniversary of Java. The conference features expert-led sessions, keynotes and community engagement opportunities

JavaLand 2025

JavaLand 2025 is scheduled for April 1–3, 2025, at the Nürburgring in the Eifel region of Germany. This annual conference is a premier event for Java enthusiasts, offering a blend of technical sessions, workshops and community engagement.

Java Day Istanbul

Java Day Istanbul 2025 is scheduled for May 10, 2025, at the Elite World Asia Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. Organized by the Istanbul Java User Group, this event stands as one of Turkey’s most significant international community-driven software conferences

JavaZone 2025

JavaZone 2025 is scheduled for September 3–4, 2025, at Nova Spektrum in Lillestrøm, Norway. As the largest community-driven Java conference in Norway, JavaZone has been a cornerstone event for developers since its inception in 2001.