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DATEDIF
DATEDIF computes the difference between a start date and an end date according to a unit code: "Y" for complete years, "M" for complete months, "D" for days, "YM" for months ignoring years, "MD" for days ignoring months and years, and "YD" for days ignoring years. Though undocumented in newer Excel versions, it is widely supported and is the standard way to calculate precise age or tenure.
Topic:Date arithmeticExcel
=DATEDIF(A2,B2,"Y")Google Sheets
=DATEDIF(A2,B2,"Y")Try it with your data
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How it works
- 1Enter the start date as the first argument and the end date as the second (start must be earlier).
- 2Choose a unit code: "Y" for full years, "M" for full months, "D" for total days.
- 3Combine multiple DATEDIF calls for a full age display: =DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),"Y")&" yrs "&DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),"YM")&" mo".
Need a version for your data?
Try: “Calculate each employee's age in complete years from their date of birth”
More on Date arithmetic
See all →Reference
TODAY / DATEDIF
Work with the current date and measure the gap between two dates.
How-toHow to calculate age from a date of birth
Turn a birth date into an age in years with DATEDIF and TODAY. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
How-toHow to calculate days between two dates
Subtract one date from another to get the number of days, or count working days with NETWORKDAYS. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to add months to a date
Shift a date forward or back by a number of months with EDATE — it handles month lengths correctly. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to flag overdue dates
Mark rows whose due date has passed by comparing it to TODAY() with IF. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
How-toHow to calculate age from a birthday
Use DATEDIF with TODAY() to calculate a person's exact age in years from a birth date cell in Excel and Google Sheets.