Skip to main content
Documents
Basic SyntaxMath FunctionsDate FunctionsJSON FunctionsDatabasesTables & Schema ManagementString FunctionsTriggersIndexes

PostgreSQL CURRENT_DATE

PostgreSQL's Date Functions allow you to manipulate and retrieve date values effectively. The `CURRENT_DATE` function, in particular, returns the current date according to the system's time zone and clock.

Usage

The `CURRENT_DATE` function is used to obtain the current date in a PostgreSQL database. It is often employed in queries that need to filter, compare, or update records based on today's date.

SELECT CURRENT_DATE;

In this syntax, `CURRENT_DATE` fetches the current date from the database server. Note that `CURRENT_DATE` is equivalent to `CURRENT_DATE::date` and does not include the time component, which is important when comparing dates with timestamps.

Examples

1. Retrieve Current Date

SELECT CURRENT_DATE;

This simple query returns the current date from the database's system clock, typically in the format `YYYY-MM-DD`.

2. Filtering Data with CURRENT_DATE

SELECT order_id, order_date
FROM orders
WHERE order_date = CURRENT_DATE;

This query retrieves orders placed on the current date, effectively filtering the results to show only today's orders.

3. Calculating Age

SELECT name, birth_date, CURRENT_DATE - birth_date AS age
FROM employees;

In this example, the query calculates the age of employees by subtracting their birth date from the current date.

Tips and Best Practices

  • Use CURRENT_DATE for standardization. It ensures consistency in queries that need to reference the current date.
  • Combine with time zones. Be aware of time zones to avoid discrepancies, especially in distributed systems. The results of `CURRENT_DATE` depend on the database server's time zone settings.
  • Utilize in date comparisons. Use `CURRENT_DATE` to filter records dynamically based on the current date for real-time data analysis.
  • Leverage for automation. Implement `CURRENT_DATE` in automated reports or data updates to ensure they always reflect the most recent data.
  • Transaction behavior. `CURRENT_DATE` is evaluated at the start of a transaction and remains constant for its duration. This can be particularly useful for users working with long-running transactions.