Minimum PHP Version Required to run WordPress
Data Sources
The raw data for this chart is based on the official “Requirements” page in WordPress.org.
In addition, since WordPress 2.9 the required PHP version for each WordPress version is defined in version.php file.
History
WordPress 2.0 was the first version to set a minimum required PHP version – it was decided to use PHP 4.2.
Two years later, on March 2008, WordPress 2.5 was released with upgraded minimum required version – adopting PHP 4.3 [ Source ].
Another two years have passed and on July 2011 WordPress 3.2 bumped the the minimum required version to PHP 5.2.4 [ Source ]. A part of larger process to end the support for PHP 4 and MySQL 4 as of WordPress 3.2 [ Source ].
Nine years later, on May 2019, WordPress 5.2 bumped the minimum required version to PHP 5.6.20 [ Source ].
A year later, on June 2020, the minimum required PHP version was bumped to PHP 7.2 [ Source ]. A decision that will end the support of PHP 5. This should apply only on future WordPress releases.
Historical Data
| 5.6 | PHP version 5.6.20 or greater. | — |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | PHP version 5.6.20 or greater. | — |
| 5.4 | PHP version 5.6.20 or greater. | — |
| 5.3 | PHP version 5.6.20 or greater. | — |
| 5.2 | PHP version 5.6.20 or greater. | ▲ |
| 5.1 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 5.0 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.9 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.8 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.7 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.6 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.5 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.4 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.3 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.2 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.1 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 4.0 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.9 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.8 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.7 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.6 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.5 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.4 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.3 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | — |
| 3.2 | PHP version 5.2.4 or greater. | ▲ |
| 3.1 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 3.0 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 2.9 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 2.8 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 2.7 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 2.6 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | — |
| 2.5 | PHP version 4.3 or greater. | ▲ |
| 2.3 | PHP version 4.2 or greater. | — |
| 2.2 | PHP version 4.2 or greater. | — |
| 2.1 | PHP version 4.2 or greater. | — |
| 2.0 | PHP version 4.2 or greater. | ▲ |
| 1.5 | No minimum PHP requirements. | — |
| 1.2 | No minimum PHP requirements. | — |
| 1.0 | No minimum PHP requirements. | — |
| 0.7 | No minimum PHP requirements. | — |