Why Gleam Could Be the Next Most Admired Programming Language After Rust

For the tenth consecutive year, Rust has topped Stack Overflow’s “most admired programming language” category. In the 2025 developer survey, it topped with a 72% approval rating. But the surprise is in the runner-up segment.  Gleam, a relatively new language in its public debut, has secured second place with a 70% approval rating. It has outperformed well-known languages like Elixir (66%) and Zig (64%). This is Gleam’s first time on the list, and developers appear optimistic that it won't be its last. The new language seems to find a balance that other languages have struggled to reach, combining the runtime’s renowned robustness with a design that appeals to developers familiar with static typing and minimal syntax. Those who have adopted it talk less about trends