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MATLAB, a programming and numeric computation environment for engineers and scientists is sinking in popularity, according to the latest edition of the Tiobe index of programming language popularity.
In the Tiobe index for August 2026, published August 8, MATLAB is ranked 25th, having fallen out of the top 20 for the first time in more than 10 years. “Is this just a temporary dip, or is it the beginning of a more permanent decline? Personally, I believe MATLAB’s days are numbered,” said Paul Jansen, CEO at Tiobe. One important reason for the decline may be MATLAB’s licensing model. “In a world where most programming languages are freely available, having to pay for a MATLAB license is becoming an increasingly significant disadvantage,” Jansen said.
Another reason for MATLAB’s decline is that the language has not evolved as much as other mainstream programming languages, according to Tiobe. “While languages such as Python, C++, Rust, and even newer languages continue to introduce modern language features and programming paradigms, MATLAB can increasingly feel like a language from another era,” Jansen said.
