Which Java version does Minecraft 1.18 require?

Here's a short history of Minecraft versions and their respective required Java version:

LTS stands for "Long Term Support". These versions can get (security) updates for a long time after release, the general length seems to be 8 years.
(Java 6 & 7 were also supported for +/- 8 years, but this was before the term "LTS" was used)

There were 2 version changes in 2021 because Java 16 was not an LTS, and so was only supported for a few months. At the time of Minecraft 1.17's release, Java 17 was not out yet, so the decision was made to temporarily switch to Java 16.