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How to subtract one date from another in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Date arithmeticExcel & Google Sheets
=B2-A2Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Place the start date in A2 and the end date in B2.
- 2In a result cell, enter =B2-A2.
- 3If the result looks like a date, format the result cell as a Number (not a Date).
- 4For a negative result (indicating the end date is before the start), use =ABS(B2-A2) to get a positive count.
- 5For months or years, switch to =DATEDIF(A2,B2,"M") or =DATEDIF(A2,B2,"Y").
Tips
- If you receive a large number like 45292 instead of a small integer, your source cells are formatted as text, not dates. Use DATEVALUE() to convert: =DATEVALUE(B2)-DATEVALUE(A2).
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Frequently asked
What unit does date subtraction return?
Always days. Dates in spreadsheets are integers (serial numbers), so subtracting one from another yields an integer count of days. Divide by 7 for weeks, or use DATEDIF for months and years.
How do I subtract dates and show the result as 'X days, Y hours'?
Subtract date-time values and multiply the decimal portion by 24 for hours: =INT(B2-A2)&" days, "&INT((B2-A2-INT(B2-A2))*24)&" hours".
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.
ReferenceDATEDIF
Calculates the difference between two dates in years, months, or days using a unit code string.
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.