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Perforce Software has released its 2026 PHP Landscape Report, highlighting PHP’s continued role in open source software (OSS). PHP remains a globally adopted programming language, while organisations report challenges in sourcing skilled PHP professionals.
Based on insights from over 700 OSS users, the report identifies a notable skills gap. More than half of PHP users have over 15 years of experience, while 15% have five years or less. This distribution reflects an experienced workforce with fewer newer developers entering the field. Hiring is identified by managers as a key challenge in 2026, consistent with a broader trend in which 24% of OSS users report skill shortages.
PHP, often alongside JavaScript, is reported as one of the most widely used open source languages, ahead of Python, Node.js, and Java. Nearly all respondents indicate they used or increased their use of PHP in 2025, reflecting its continued presence in OSS. Most use PHP for web applications and APIs, where it is commonly described as a “glue language”.
In integrated environments, PHP is used with a range of technologies including relational databases (92%) and web APIs (83%). NGINX is reported as having overtaken Apache as the preferred middleware, linked to increased container adoption. Investment approaches are described as being distributed across areas such as programming languages, databases, and observability tools.
Despite hiring challenges, PHP remains in use across OSS, with 45% of users reporting it in their environments. A further 3% indicate plans to phase out PHP applications by 2026. Looking ahead, organisations report planned upgrades and migrations, reflecting ongoing use and adaptation of PHP systems.
