Skip to main content
HomeTutorialsSQL

FORMAT() SQL FUNCTION

FORMAT() is one of the most commonly used functions in SQL. Learn its main applications in this tutorial.
Oct 2022  · 3 min read

What is the FORMAT() function?

FORMAT() turns numbers or datetimes into text, with rules for how they are displayed.

When to use FORMAT()

FORMAT() comes in handy for displaying dates, currency, and numeric values in a specific format. 

FORMAT() syntax

FORMAT(value, format[, culture])

Parameter

What is it?

Value

A required parameter referring to the column to be formatted 

Format

A required parameter specifying the format pattern of the value. It should contain a value .NET format string. We will illustrate the various allowed formats in the examples below

Culture

An optional parameter specifying the locale-aware formatting of date/time.

FORMAT() examples

Example 1: Formatting numeric variables

SELECT
   FORMAT(0112223333, ‘##-###-####') -- replace format with what is shown in the table below.
 

phone_number

0

11-222-3333

Example 2: Formatting datetime

We can format a variable of datetime format in different formats.

DECLARE @d DATETIME = CAST('2023-02-01 04:05:06' AS DATETIME);  

SELECT
   FORMAT(@d, format) -- replace format with what is shown in the table below.

Format

Query

Example of formatted date for 1 February 2023 04:05:06 AM

d

FORMAT(@d, ‘d')

2/1/2023

D

FORMAT(@d, D)

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

f

FORMAT(@d, ‘f')

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 4:05 AM

F

FORMAT(@d, ‘F')

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 4:05:06 AM

g

FORMAT(@d, ‘g')

10/8/2022 6:01 AM

G

FORMAT(@d, ‘G')

10/8/2022 6:01:06 AM

O

FORMAT(@d, ‘O')

2022-10-08T06:01:06.117Z

r

FORMAT(@d, ‘r')

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 04:05:06 GMT

R

FORMAT(@d, ‘R')

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 04:05:06 GMT

s

FORMAT(@d, ‘s')

2023-02-01T04:05:06

u

FORMAT(@d, ‘u')

2023-02-01 04:05:06Z

U

FORMAT(@d, ‘U')

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 4:05:06 AM

t

FORMAT(@d, ‘t')

4:05 AM

T

FORMAT(@d, ‘T')

4:05:06 AM

Y

FORMAT(@d, ‘Y')

February 2023

MM_dd_yyyy

FORMAT(@d, ‘MM_dd_yyyy')

02_01_2023

MMM-dd-yy

FORMAT(@d,'MMM-dd-yy')

Feb 01 23

yyyy-dd-MM

FORMAT(@d,'yyyy-dd-MM')

2023-01-02

yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm

FORMAT(@d,'yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm')

2023-01-02 04.05

yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm.ss

FORMAT(@d,'yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm.ss')

2023-01-02 04.05.06

yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm.ss tt

FORMAT(@d,'yyyy-dd-MM hh.mm.ss tt')

2023-01-02 04.05.06 AM

Example 3: Formatting culture-aware date

We can format dates into different languages with the culture parameter. 

DECLARE @d DATE = CAST('2023-02-01' AS DATE);  

SELECT
   FORMAT(@d, format, culture) -- replace format with what is shown in the table below.

Culture

Query

Example of formatted date for 1 February 2023 

US English (en-US)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', 'en-US') 

2/1/2023

FORMAT(@d, 'f', 'en-US') 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 12:00 AM

Great Britain English (en-gb)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', 'en-gb')

01/02/2023

FORMAT(@d, 'f', 'en-gb')

01 February 2023 00:00

German (de-de)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', 'de-de') 

01.02.2023

FORMAT(@d, 'f', 'de-de') 

Mittwoch, 1. Februar 2023 00:00

Chinese (zh-cn)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', 'zh-cn')

2023/2/1

FORMAT(@d, 'f', 'zh-cn')

2023年2月1日 0:00

Indian (hi-in)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', ‘hi-in')

01-02-0203

FORMAT(@d, 'f', ‘hi-in')

01 फरवरी 2023 00:00

Russian (ru-ru)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', ru-ru') 

01-02-2023

FORMAT(@d, 'f', ru-ru') 

1 февраля 2023 г. 0:00

Spain (gl-es)

FORMAT(@d, 'd', 'gl-es')

01/02/2023

FORMAT(@d, 'f', 'gl-es')

mércores 01 febreiro 2023 00:00

Example 4: Formatting currency

We can also conveniently format numeric values into currencies.

SELECT
   FORMAT(amount, 'c', culture) -- replace format with what is shown in the table below.

Culture

Query

Example of formatted currency

US English (en-US)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(5.5, 'c', 'en-US') 

$5.5

Great Britain English (en-gb)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', 'en-gb')

£5.5

German (de-de)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', 'de-de') 

5,50 €

Chinese (zh-cn)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', 'zh-cn')

¥5.50

Indian (hi-in)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', ‘hi-in')

₹5.50

Russian (ru-ru)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', ru-ru') 

5,50 ₽

Spain (gl-es)

SELECT 

   FORMAT(@d, 'c', 'gl-es')

€5,50

Technical requirements

FORMAT() works in SQL Server (starting with 2012), Azure SQL Database.  FORMAT() also works in PostgreSQL, but behaves differently. You can learn more about it in this course.

See also

Learn more about SQL

Popular SQL Courses

Introduction to SQL

BeginnerSkill Level
2 hr
423.5K
Learn how to create and query relational databases using SQL in just two hours.
See DetailsRight Arrow
Start Course
See MoreRight Arrow
Related

The 6 Best Business Analyst Certifications: Your Path to Becoming Certified

Explore the top business analyst certifications to enhance your career. Learn about the benefits, preparation tips, and how DataCamp can support you.
Matt Crabtree's photo

Matt Crabtree

15 min

Top 31 Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers For All Levels

Explore common business analyst interview questions and their answers for all experience levels.
Austin Chia's photo

Austin Chia

18 min

SQL vs NoSQL Databases: Key Differences and Practical Insights

Discover how to decide between SQL and NoSQL databases in data science and application development. Learn their strengths, use cases, and industry applications.

Kevin Babitz

15 min

The Top 8 Business Analyst Skills for 2024

Explore the top technical and soft business analyst skills needed to succeed and how you can best showcase them in your portfolio and on your resume.
Joleen Bothma's photo

Joleen Bothma

11 min

MySQL Basics Cheat Sheet

With this MySQL basics cheat sheet, you'll have a handy reference guide to basic querying tables, filtering data, and aggregating data
Richie Cotton's photo

Richie Cotton

6 min

PostgreSQL Basics Cheat Sheet

With this PostgreSQL cheat sheet, you'll have a handy reference guide to basic querying tables, filtering data, and aggregating data
Richie Cotton's photo

Richie Cotton

6 min

See MoreSee More