Member-only story
The 6 Programming Languages That Will Be Obsolete by 2026 (Are You Still Using Them?)
It’s a cold, hard truth of our industry: the programming language you’ve spent years mastering might be heading toward obsolescence. While COBOL programmers still command six-figure salaries for maintaining ancient banking systems, most languages don’t enjoy such a prolonged twilight. Instead, they fade into obscurity as newer, more efficient options emerge.
I’ve watched dozens of languages rise and fall throughout my career. Some deaths were merciful and quick (remember CoffeeScript?), while others have been painfully prolonged affairs where developers cling to familiar tools despite clear writing on the wall.
Let’s rip off the band-aid and examine six programming languages that are likely heading for extinction by 2026. If your primary language is on this list, you might want to start diversifying your skill set.
1. Perl: The Swiss Army Chainsaw Losing Its Edge
When I first encountered Perl in the late 90s, it was the undisputed king of web development and text processing. Its mantra “There’s more than one way to do it” initially felt liberating. But as codebases grew and teams expanded, that flexibility became Perl’s Achilles’ heel.
