Kotlin
Created by JetBrains in 2011
Modern JVM language for Android development
Key Statistics
Popularity Trend
Composite score over the last 12 weeks
Source Breakdown
Contribution by data source (Total: 3.8)
Scores are weighted by importance: GitHub (20%), Stack Overflow (20%), Packages (15%), Google Trends (15%), Jobs (15%), Reddit (10%), Tutorials (5%)
Recent History
| Period | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026Current | #11 | 3.8 |
| Apr 2026 | #11 | 3.8 |
| Apr 2026 | #11 | 3.7 |
| Apr 2026 | #11 | 3.7 |
| Mar 2026 | #11 | 3.7 |
Analysis & Context
Kotlin became the official Android development language in 2017 when Google endorsed it at I/O, and it has steadily displaced Java as the default for new Android projects since then. The language runs on the JVM — meaning all Java libraries and Android APIs are available — but adds null safety, coroutines, and a more expressive syntax. Beyond Android, Kotlin has found a second home in Spring Boot backends where teams value JVM reliability with less Java verbosity.
Where Kotlin Is Used
Android application development
Kotlin is the recommended language for new Android apps. Jetpack Compose — Google's declarative Android UI framework — is Kotlin-first. Most active Android development shops have migrated from Java to Kotlin.
Spring Boot backend services
Kotlin's JVM interoperability makes it a natural fit for Spring Boot. Teams building microservices on the JVM increasingly choose Kotlin over Java for its conciseness and null safety, while retaining full access to the Spring ecosystem.
Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)
Kotlin Multiplatform allows sharing business logic across Android, iOS, web, and desktop targets from a single Kotlin codebase. It is gaining traction as an alternative to React Native and Flutter for teams with existing Kotlin expertise.
The AI Era
Kotlin is well-represented in AI training data for Android patterns — GitHub Copilot and similar tools handle Jetpack Compose and Android SDK patterns reliably. The Kotlin ecosystem has not yet produced a dominant AI/ML library, so Kotlin's AI story is primarily about integrating external AI services (OpenAI, Firebase ML) into Android apps rather than building models.
Job Market
Kotlin job demand splits roughly 70/30 between Android development and JVM backend roles. Android engineering positions at consumer product companies represent the bulk of demand. Backend Kotlin roles are concentrated at companies already invested in the JVM ecosystem — typically fintech, enterprise software, and large-scale consumer platforms. Compensation tracks closely with Android and Java backend markets.