---
title: "year"
slug: "dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-year"
updated: 2026-10-30T18:19:01Z
published: 2026-10-30T18:19:01Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-year"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# year

*Applies to VAST Cluster 5.5.*

*[Functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-index) › [Date and time functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time) › Parts of a date or time.* Returns the calendar year of a date or timestamp, or the years field of an interval.

## Syntax

```
year(value)
```

| Argument | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `value` | `DATE`, `TIMESTAMP` (also `TIMESTAMP_NS`, `TIMESTAMP_MS`, `TIMESTAMP_S`) or `INTERVAL` | The value to take the year of. |

**Returns:** `BIGINT`.

**Same as:** `date_part('year', value)` and `extract(year FROM value)`; see [date_part](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-date-part).

## Set up the examples

The examples connect with the ADBC driver, as in [VAST Query Engine (ADBC)](/develop/docs/dev-database-integrations-adbc), and work in a schema called `docs_sql_fn_date_time_year`. Set `QE_ENDPOINT`, `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` and `VASTDB_BUCKET` ([SQL reference](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-index#example-connect-and-use-a-transaction)), and run the blocks in order in one Python session. Below each block is the output you should see.

This block connects, defines the `run()` and `plan()` helpers, and creates a table of five events. Each has a date (`d`), a timestamp (`ts`), a time of day (`t`) and a timestamp with nanoseconds (`tns`). Row 4 has no values, and row 5 is the last moment of 1969:

```
import os
import re

import adbc_driver_manager
import adbc_driver_manager.dbapi as dbapi
import adbc_driver_vastdb

BUCKET = os.environ["VASTDB_BUCKET"]
SCHEMA = f'"{BUCKET}/docs_sql_fn_date_time_year"'

conn = dbapi.connect(
    driver=adbc_driver_vastdb.get_driver_path(),
    db_kwargs={
        "vast.db.endpoint": os.environ["QE_ENDPOINT"],
        "vast.db.access_key": os.environ["AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID"],
        "vast.db.secret_key": os.environ["AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"],
    },
    autocommit=True,
)

def server_message(e):
    """The server's message in a driver error, without the request ID or the echoed statement."""
    text = re.sub(r"\[req=0x[0-9a-f]+\]: ", "", str(e))
    found = (re.search(r'message: "(.*?)", request_id', text, re.S)
             or re.search(r"description: (.*)\)", text, re.S))
    message = found.group(1) if found else text.strip().splitlines()[-1]
    message = re.sub(r"^Plan query: '.*?' failed with: ", "", message, flags=re.S)
    message = re.split(r"\\n|\n", message)[0].replace('\\"', '"')
    return message.replace(BUCKET, "<bucket>")

def run(sql):
    """Run one statement. Print the rows it returns, or the error."""
    try:
        with conn.cursor() as cur:
            cur.execute(sql)
            rows = cur.fetchall() if cur.description else []
    except (adbc_driver_manager.Error, OSError) as e:
        print(f"{type(e).__name__}: {server_message(e)}")
    else:
        print(rows)

def plan(sql):
    """Print the plan without its ~N Rows lines: the table's row count, which can still be 0 just after an insert."""
    with conn.cursor() as cur:
        cur.execute("EXPLAIN " + sql)
        steps = cur.fetchall()[0][1]
    print("\n".join(line for line in steps.splitlines() if "Rows" not in line))

TABLE = f"{SCHEMA}.events"
run(f"CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS {SCHEMA}")
run(f"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {TABLE} (id BIGINT, d DATE, ts TIMESTAMP, t TIME, tns TIMESTAMP_NS)")
run(f"INSERT INTO {TABLE} VALUES "
    "(1, DATE '2026-02-28', TIMESTAMP '2026-02-28 23:15:00', TIME '23:15:00', "
    "CAST('2026-02-28 23:15:00.123456789' AS TIMESTAMP_NS)), "
    "(2, DATE '2026-03-01', TIMESTAMP '2026-03-01 08:30:45.123456', TIME '08:30:45.123456', "
    "CAST('2026-03-01 08:30:45.123456' AS TIMESTAMP_NS)), "
    "(3, DATE '2024-12-30', TIMESTAMP '2024-12-30 12:00:00', TIME '12:00:00', "
    "CAST('2024-12-30 12:00:00' AS TIMESTAMP_NS)), "
    "(4, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL), "
    "(5, DATE '1969-12-31', TIMESTAMP '1969-12-31 23:59:59.999999', TIME '23:59:59.999999', "
    "CAST('1969-12-31 23:59:59.999999999' AS TIMESTAMP_NS))")
```

```
[]
[]
[(5,)]
```

## What it does

`year` returns the calendar year of a date or timestamp: `year(DATE &apos;2024-02-29&apos;)` is `2024`. It works on every timestamp precision (`TIMESTAMP`, `TIMESTAMP_NS`, `TIMESTAMP_MS`, `TIMESTAMP_S`).

Years before year 1 count down from 0: 44 BC is `-43`.

On an `INTERVAL`, `year` returns the whole years in its months field, without normalising days: `year(INTERVAL &apos;30 months&apos;)` is `2`, and `year(INTERVAL &apos;400 days&apos;)` is `0`. A negative interval gives a negative year: `year(INTERVAL &apos;-13 months&apos;)` is `-1`.

`year` is the calendar year. Around New Year, the ISO year can differ: 30 December 2024 is in calendar year 2024 but in ISO week 1 of 2025. For that, use [isoyear](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-isoyear).

## NULLs and edge cases

| Input | Result |
| --- | --- |
| A NULL value (row 4) | `NULL` |
| `DATE &apos;infinity&apos;`, `TIMESTAMP &apos;-infinity&apos;` | `NULL` |
| `DATE &apos;0001-01-01&apos;` | `1` |
| `DATE &apos;9999-12-31&apos;` | `9999` |
| 44 BC: `CAST(&apos;0044-03-15 (BC)&apos; AS DATE)` | `-43` |
| `DATE &apos;2024-12-30&apos;` | `2024` |
| `INTERVAL &apos;1 year 2 months 3 days 04:05:06.789&apos;` | `1` |
| `INTERVAL &apos;30 months&apos;` | `2` |
| `INTERVAL &apos;-13 months&apos;` | `-1` |
| `INTERVAL &apos;400 days&apos;` | `0` |
| An untyped `NULL`: `year(NULL)` | Error: `Could not choose a best candidate function for the function call &quot;year(&quot;NULL&quot;)&quot;` |
| A `TIME` | Error: `No function matches the given name and argument types &apos;year(TIME)&apos;` |
| A string | Error: `Could not choose a best candidate function`; cast it to `DATE` first |
| A number, boolean, `BLOB` or list | Error: `No function matches the given name and argument types`, for example `&apos;year(INTEGER_LITERAL)&apos;` |

The same cases, as the cluster returns them. They use the table and helpers from [Set up the examples](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-year#set-up-the-examples):

```
run(f"SELECT id, year(ts) FROM {TABLE} WHERE id = 4")
run("SELECT year(DATE 'infinity'), year(TIMESTAMP '-infinity'), year(DATE '0001-01-01'), year(DATE '9999-12-31'), "
    "year(CAST('0044-03-15 (BC)' AS DATE)), year(DATE '2024-12-30')")
run("SELECT year(INTERVAL '1 year 2 months 3 days 04:05:06.789'), year(INTERVAL '30 months'), "
    "year(INTERVAL '-13 months'), year(INTERVAL '400 days')")
run("SELECT year(NULL)")
run("SELECT year(TIME '13:45:30')")
run("SELECT year('2024-02-29')")
run("SELECT year(123)")
```

```
[(4, None)]
[(None, None, 1, 9999, -43, 2024)]
[(1, 2, -1, 0)]
InternalError: Binder Error: Could not choose a best candidate function for the function call "year("NULL")". In order to select one, please add explicit type casts.
InternalError: Binder Error: No function matches the given name and argument types 'year(TIME)'. You might need to add explicit type casts.
InternalError: Binder Error: Could not choose a best candidate function for the function call "year(STRING_LITERAL)". In order to select one, please add explicit type casts.
InternalError: Binder Error: No function matches the given name and argument types 'year(INTEGER_LITERAL)'. You might need to add explicit type casts.
```

## Examples

The year of each event's date and timestamp:

```
run(f"SELECT id, year(d), year(ts) FROM {TABLE} ORDER BY id LIMIT 10")
```

```
[(1, 2026, 2026), (2, 2026, 2026), (3, 2024, 2024), (4, None, None), (5, 1969, 1969)]
```

Count the events in each year. `GROUP BY` isn't available, so count each year with a [FILTER](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-aggregate-filter-clause) clause. Row 4 has no timestamp, so its year is NULL:

```
run(f"SELECT count(*) FILTER (WHERE year(ts) = 2026), count(*) FILTER (WHERE year(ts) = 2024), "
    f"count(*) FILTER (WHERE year(ts) IS NULL) FROM {TABLE}")
```

```
[(2, 1, 1)]
```

Keep only the events from 2026. This works, but [Make it faster](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-year#make-it-faster) has a faster way to write it:

```
run(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE year(ts) = 2026 ORDER BY id LIMIT 10")
```

```
[(1,), (2,)]
```

## How it runs in VAST

The Query Engine runs on the cluster's CNodes, and a query on a table starts with a scan in VAST DataBase (`VAST_SCAN`). VAST DataBase can evaluate a comparison of a column with a constant, but not a function of a column, so `year()` is always computed by the Query Engine:

- **In the `SELECT` list,** the scan reads the column and the Query Engine computes `year()` for each row it returns.
- **In `WHERE`,** the scan sends the column for every row, and a `FILTER` step in the Query Engine computes `year()` and keeps the rows that match. No rows are skipped in storage. This is the same for a `DATE` column.

The plan of the `WHERE` example shows the `FILTER` step above the scan:

```
plan(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE year(ts) = 2026")
```

```
┌───────────────────────────┐
│         PROJECTION        │
│    ────────────────────   │
│             #1            │
│                           │
└─────────────┬─────────────┘
┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
│           FILTER          │
│    ────────────────────   │
│    ("year"(ts) = 2026)    │
│                           │
└─────────────┬─────────────┘
┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
│         VAST_SCAN         │
│    ────────────────────   │
│    Function: VAST_SCAN    │
│                           │
│        Projections:       │
│             ts            │
│             id            │
│                           │
└───────────────────────────┘
```

## Make it faster

- **Filter on a range of the raw column, not on `year()`.** `ts &gt;= TIMESTAMP &apos;2026-01-01 00:00:00&apos; AND ts &lt; TIMESTAMP &apos;2027-01-01 00:00:00&apos;` returns the same rows as `year(ts) = 2026`, and it's pushed down to VAST DataBase, so rows from other years never leave storage. The plan for the range has no `FILTER` step, and neither has the same range on the `DATE` column:

```
plan(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE ts >= TIMESTAMP '2026-01-01 00:00:00' AND ts < TIMESTAMP '2027-01-01 00:00:00'")
plan(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE d >= DATE '2026-01-01' AND d < DATE '2027-01-01'")
```

```
┌───────────────────────────┐
│         VAST_SCAN         │
│    ────────────────────   │
│    Function: VAST_SCAN    │
│      Projections: id      │
│                           │
└───────────────────────────┘
┌───────────────────────────┐
│         VAST_SCAN         │
│    ────────────────────   │
│    Function: VAST_SCAN    │
│      Projections: id      │
│                           │
└───────────────────────────┘
```

- **Use `year()` in the `SELECT` list,** where it doesn't stop a filter from being pushed down.
- **Sort the table on its time column.** Sorting lets the scan skip whole blocks of rows outside the range; see [indexing and data skipping](/develop/docs/dev-database-guides-indexing-and-data-skipping).

## Limitations and errors

- **No time-zone support.** On a `TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE` value, such as `now()`, `year` fails with an `Extension Autoloading Error`. Cast the value to `TIMESTAMP` first: `year(CAST(now() AS TIMESTAMP))`. See [time zones](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-time-zones).
- **Not for `TIME`.** A time of day has no year; `year(TIME ...)` fails with `No function matches the given name and argument types &apos;year(TIME)&apos;`.
- **`TIMESTAMP_NS` just before 1970.** Row 5's `tns`, `1969-12-31 23:59:59.999999999`, gives `1970`. Store such values as `TIMESTAMP` if you need their year; row 5's `ts` gives `1969`.
- **One argument.** `year(ts, ts)` fails with `No function matches the given name and argument types &apos;year(TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP)&apos;`.

```
run(f"SELECT id, year(tns), year(ts) FROM {TABLE} ORDER BY id LIMIT 10")
run(f"SELECT year(ts, ts) FROM {TABLE} LIMIT 1")
```

```
[(1, 2026, 2026), (2, 2026, 2026), (3, 2024, 2024), (4, None, None), (5, 1970, 1969)]
InternalError: Binder Error: No function matches the given name and argument types 'year(TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP)'. You might need to add explicit type casts.
```

## Similar functions

| Function | Returns | Result for `DATE &apos;2024-12-30&apos;` (`year` gives `2024`) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [isoyear](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-isoyear) | The ISO year: the year of the ISO week the date is in | `2025` |
| [yearweek](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-yearweek) | The ISO year and week as one number | `202501` |
| [date_trunc](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-date-trunc) with `&apos;year&apos;` | The first day of the year, as a `DATE` | `2024-01-01` |
| [strftime](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-strftime) with `&apos;%Y&apos;` | The year as text | `&apos;2024&apos;` |
| [decade](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-decade), [century](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-century), [millennium](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-millennium), [era](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-era) | Larger units of the year | `202`, `21`, `3`, `1` |

```
run("SELECT year(DATE '2024-12-30'), isoyear(DATE '2024-12-30'), yearweek(DATE '2024-12-30'), "
    "date_trunc('year', DATE '2024-12-30'), strftime(DATE '2024-12-30', '%Y')")
run("SELECT decade(DATE '2024-12-30'), century(DATE '2024-12-30'), millennium(DATE '2024-12-30'), era(DATE '2024-12-30')")
```

```
[(2024, 2025, 202501, datetime.date(2024, 1, 1), '2024')]
[(202, 21, 3, 1)]
```

Clean up:

```
run(f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {TABLE}")
run(f"DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS {SCHEMA}")
conn.close()
```

```
[]
[]
```

## See also

- [date_part](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time-date-part): any part of a value, by name.
- [Date and time functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-date-time): all the date and time functions.
- [Where filters run](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-select#where-filters-run) and [pushdowns](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-pushdowns).
- [EXPLAIN](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-explain): how to read a plan.