PHP 8.2 reaches end of life on 31 December 2026
Short version: Each version of PHP, the language WordPress® runs on, gets security fixes for a few years and then stops. PHP 8.2 stops on 31 December 2026. Today about 34% of WordPress sites already run a PHP version with no official security fixes. On 1 January 2027 that becomes about 57%, unless those sites upgrade.
- 34% of WordPress sites run PHP that no longer gets official security fixes today
- 57% will, once PHP 8.2 support ends on 31 Dec 2026
- 15% still run PHP 7.4, which reached end of life in 2022
Our math from WordPress.org's public PHP stats, fetched 24 October 2026. They count sites that report to WordPress.org, not every WordPress site.
Which PHP versions are supported
| PHP version | Security fixes until | Status on 24 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 31 Dec 2029 | Supported |
| 8.4 | 31 Dec 2028 | Supported |
| 8.3 | 31 Dec 2027 | Supported |
| 8.2 | 31 Dec 2026 | Supported for about two more months |
| 8.1 and older | Ended | No official fixes |
Source: php.net supported versions.
What "end of life" means for your site
Your site doesn't stop working on 1 January. Nothing visible changes. What changes is that when the next serious PHP flaw is found, the PHP project won't release a fix for your version. In October 2026, PHP2Shell showed what that means: PHP 7.3 and older got no fix at all.
Some hosts and Linux vendors add their own fixes to old PHP versions. That can help, but you have to ask, and it isn't the same as official support.
Why so many sites are stuck
- The host controls PHP. On shared hosting, you often pick from a menu, and some hosts keep old versions as the default.
- Old themes and plugins break. A site built years ago may show errors on newer PHP, so nobody wants to touch it.
- Nobody owns the site anymore. The person who built it moved on, and the business just wants it to keep working.
Your options
- Upgrade PHP to 8.3 or newer. Test first on a staging copy. This is the best fix when the site's theme and plugins support it.
- Fix or replace what breaks. Update or swap the theme and plugins that fail on new PHP.
- Take PHP off the public internet. Serve visitors a static copy of the site, then keep WordPress private for editing or retire it. This is what WranglePress does. If you keep WordPress you should still upgrade it, but without the urgency, because strangers' page requests don't reach PHP. If you retire it, old PHP stops mattering.
- Rebuild the site on a new platform. This makes sense when the site needs a redesign anyway.
How to check your PHP version
In WordPress, open Tools → Site Health → Info → Server. The "PHP version" line shows it. If you see 8.1 or lower, you're already unsupported. If you see 8.2, you have until 31 December 2026.
Last updated 2026-10-24.