How to Sort a Dictionary by Value in Python

Sorting is a fundamental operation in data manipulation, and dictionaries in Python are no exception. Whether we're working on a complex data analysis project or a simple script, understanding how to efficiently sort a dictionary by value can be immensely useful.

In this article, we break down the various methods to sort dictionaries by their values in Python, ensuring we have the tools to organize our data as needed.

The Short Answer: How to Sort a Dictionary by Value in Python

To quickly sort a dictionary by value, we can use Python's built-in .sorted() function in combination with a lambda function. This method is straightforward and efficient for most use cases.

student_scores = {
    'Alex': 88,
    'Ben': 75,
    'Cyrus': 93,
    'Denver': 85
}
sorted_by_values = dict(sorted(student_scores.items(), key=lambda item: item[1]))

{'Ben': 75, 'Denver': 85, 'Alex': 88, 'Cyrus': 93}

Now, let's take a step back and understand Python dictionaries and why we might need to sort them.

What Are Python Dictionaries?

Python dictionaries are a type of data structure that stores data in key-value pairs. They are highly versatile and allow fast lookups, insertions, and deletions. Here’s a simple example:

student_scores = {
    'Alex': 88,
    'Ben': 75,
    'Cyrus': 93,
    'Denver': 85
}

In the dictionary above, the students' names are the keys, and their scores are the values. 

Dictionaries are helpful in many scenarios, such as when we need to store and retrieve data efficiently. However, there are times when sorting this data by values rather than by keys becomes necessary—for instance, when we want to rank students by their scores.

How to Sort a Dictionary by Value in Python

Now, let’s take a closer look at the .sorted() function in Python and how to use it specifically for sorting dictionaries by value.

How to sort a dictionary by value using .sorted()

The .sorted() function is a powerful and flexible tool for sorting in Python. To sort a dictionary by its values, we can use a lambda function to specify that the sorting should be based on the dictionary’s values.

student_scores = {
    'Alex': 88,
    'Ben': 75,
    'Cyrus': 93,
    'Denver': 85
}
sorted_by_values = dict(sorted(student_scores.items(), key=lambda item: item[1]))
print(sorted_by_values)

{'Ben': 75, 'Denver': 85, 'Alex': 88, 'Cyrus': 93}

In this example, student_scores.items() returns a view object that displays a list of the dictionary's key-value tuple pairs. The .sorted() function sorts these pairs by the values (item[1]), and dict() converts the sorted list back into a dictionary.

How to sort a dictionary by value in descending or ascending order

By default, the .sorted() function sorts in ascending order. However, depending on the situation, we can easily modify this to sort in descending or ascending order by setting the reverse parameter to True or False.

How to sort a dictionary in ascending order

As mentioned, a dictionary will be sorted in ascending order by default when using the .sorted() function. We can also achieve ascending order by setting the reverse parameter to False.

sorted_by_values_asc = dict(sorted(student_scores.items(), key=lambda item: item[1], reverse=False))
print(sorted_by_values_asc)

{'Ben': 75, 'Denver': 85, 'Alex': 88,  'Cyrus': 93}

How to sort a dictionary in descending order

If we want to sort in ascending order, we can set the reverse parameter to True.

sorted_by_values_desc = dict(sorted(student_scores.items(), key=lambda item: item[1], reverse=True))
print(sorted_by_values_desc)

{'Cyrus': 93, 'Alex': 88, 'Denver': 85, 'Ben': 75}

Bonus: How to Sort a Dictionary by Key in Python

While this article focuses on sorting by values, it's also helpful to know how to sort a dictionary by its keys. This can be done similarly using the .sorted() function.

sorted_by_keys = dict(sorted(student_scores.items()))
print(sorted_by_keys)

{'Alex': 88, 'Ben': 75, 'Cyrus': 93, 'Denver': 85}

For descending order, simply set reverse=True:

sorted_by_keys_desc = dict(sorted(student_scores.items(), reverse=True))
print(sorted_by_keys_desc)

{'Denver': 85', 'Cyrus': 93, 'Ben': 75, 'Alex': 88}

Conclusion

Sorting a dictionary by its values in Python is a common task that can be accomplished easily using the .sorted() function. Whether we need the data in ascending or descending order, understanding these techniques will make our data manipulation tasks more straightforward and more efficient. By mastering these sorting methods, we can ensure our data is consistently organized to suit our needs best.