DATEDIFF Date and Time Function¶

The DATEDIFF date function returns the number of date and time bourndaries crossed between two specified dates. The syntax of the DATEDIFF date function is as follows:

DATEDIFF ( <datepart>, <startdate>, <enddate> )

The <datepart> parameter specifies on which part of the date to calculate the difference. Valid values are YEAR or YYYY or YY, QUARTER or QQ or Q, MONTH or MM or M, DAYOFYEAR or DY or Y, DAY or DD or D, WEEK or WK or WW, WEEKDAY or DW or W, HOUR or HH, MINUTE or MI or N, SECOND or SS or S and MILLISECOND or ms.

The <startdate> parameter is the starting date for the calculation and is an expression that returns a DATETIME or SMALLDATETIME value, or a character string in a date format. The <enddate> parameter is the ending date for the calculation and is an expression that returns a DATETIME or SMALLDATETIME value, or a character string in a date format.

Sample Uses of the DATEDIFF Date and Time Function¶

Here are a few uses of the DATEDIFF date function:

Usage #1 : Calculate Age¶

DECLARE @BirthDate DATETIME = '1932/06/12'
SELECT DATEDIFF(YEAR, @BirthDate, GETDATE()) -
       CASE WHEN MONTH(@BirthDate) < MONTH(GETDATE()) OR
                (MONTH(@BirthDate) = MONTH(GETDATE()) AND DAY(@BirthDate) <= DAY(GETDATE()))
            THEN 0 ELSE 1 END AS [Age]

Usage #2 : Get Date Part of a DATETIME Value¶

SELECT DATEADD(DD, DATEDIFF(DD, 0, GETDATE()), 0) AS [Date Part Only]

Usage #3 : Get First Day of the Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()), 0) AS [First Day of the Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()), 0) AS [First Day of the Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()), 0) AS [First Day of the Year]

Usage #4 : Get Last Day of the Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of the Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of the Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of the Year]

Usage #5 : Get First Day of the Following Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) AS [First Day of Next Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) AS [First Day of Next Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()) + 1, 0) AS [First Day of Next Year]

Usage #6 : Get Last Day of the Following Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()) + 2, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Next Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()) + 2, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Next Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()) + 2, 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Next Year]

Usage #7 : Get First Day of the Previous Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()) - 1, 0) AS [First Day Of Previous Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()) - 1, 0) AS [First Day Of Previous Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()) - 1, 0) AS [First Day Of Previous Year]

Usage #8 : Get Last Day of the Previous Month, Quarter and Year¶

SELECT DATEADD(MM, DATEDIFF(MM, 0, GETDATE()), 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Previous Month]
SELECT DATEADD(Q, DATEDIFF(Q, 0, GETDATE()), 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Previous Quarter]
SELECT DATEADD(YEAR, DATEDIFF(YEAR, 0, GETDATE()), 0) - 1 AS [Last Day of Previous Year]