Calculate age from date of birth in excel

calculate age from date of birth in excel

How to Calculate Age from Date of Birth in Excel?

Answer:
Calculating age from a date of birth in Excel can be done using various functions. Here, we’ll cover the most efficient and commonly used methods to ensure accurate calculations.

  1. Using the DATEDIF Function

    • The DATEDIF function is specifically designed to calculate the difference between two dates. Although it’s an undocumented function in Excel, it’s quite powerful for age calculation.

    Syntax:

    =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit)
    

    Example:

    =DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "Y")
    

    Where:

    • A1 contains the date of birth.
    • TODAY() function returns the current date.
    • "Y" specifies that you want the difference in complete years.
  2. Using the YEARFRAC and INT Functions

    • The YEARFRAC function calculates the fraction of the year between two dates. When combined with the INT function, it can return whole numbers, which can be used to determine age.

    Syntax:

    =INT(YEARFRAC(start_date, end_date))
    

    Example:

    =INT(YEARFRAC(A1, TODAY()))
    

    Where:

    • A1 contains the date of birth.
    • TODAY() function returns the current date.
  3. Using the YEAR, MONTH, and DAY Functions

    • This method uses individual date components to perform a more granular calculation of the age.

    Syntax:

    =YEAR(TODAY()) - YEAR(start_date) - IF(OR(MONTH(start_date) > MONTH(TODAY()), AND(MONTH(start_date) = MONTH(TODAY()), DAY(start_date) > DAY(TODAY()))), 1, 0)
    

    Example:

    =YEAR(TODAY()) - YEAR(A1) - IF(OR(MONTH(A1) > MONTH(TODAY()), AND(MONTH(A1) = MONTH(TODAY()), DAY(A1) > DAY(TODAY()))), 1, 0)
    

    Where:

    • A1 contains the date of birth.

Detailed Step-By-Step Example Using the DATEDIF Function:

  1. Input the Date of Birth

    • In cell A1, input the date of birth in the format MM/DD/YYYY or any other date format recognized by Excel.

      Example:

      A1: 05/15/1988
      
  2. Apply the DATEDIF Formula

    • In cell B1, enter the formula:
      =DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "Y")
      
  3. Output the Age

    • The result will be displayed in cell B1.

      Example Output:

      B1: 35
      

This formula will calculate the age by determining the number of years between the birth date and today’s date, providing an accurate age as of the current date.

Final Answer:
The age calculated from the date of birth in Excel using the formula =DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "Y") is a straightforward and efficient method. For other specific requirements, you can use the YEARFRAC or detailed date component methods as described above.