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YEAR Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Date & Time Beginner LibreOffice Calc LibreOffice 3.0

The YEAR function extracts the year component from a date or datetime value. It is essential for date analysis, reporting, grouping, and constructing or validating date logic.

The **YEAR** function extracts the **year component** from a date or datetime value. It is essential for reporting, grouping, filtering, constructing dates, and validating imported data. YEAR works with real dates, serial numbers, and text converted with DATEVALUE.

What the YEAR Function Does

  • Extracts the year from a date or datetime
  • Accepts serial numbers, real dates, or converted text
  • Returns a four‑digit integer
  • Ignores month, day, and time components

It is designed to be simple, reliable, and ideal for date‑component extraction.

Syntax

YEAR(date_value)

Arguments

  • date_value:
    A date, datetime, or serial number representing a date.

Basic Examples

Extract year from a date

=YEAR("2024-03-15")

Returns 2024.

Extract year from a datetime

=YEAR("2024-03-15 08:45")

Returns 2024.

Extract year from a cell

=YEAR(A1)

Extract year from TODAY()

=YEAR(TODAY())

Advanced Examples

Extract year from text using DATEVALUE

=YEAR(DATEVALUE(A1))

Extract year from imported CSV timestamps

=YEAR(DATEVALUE(LEFT(A1;10)))

Extract year from Excel serial dates imported as text

=YEAR(DATE(1899;12;30)+VALUE(A1))

Determine if two dates are in the same year

=YEAR(A1)=YEAR(B1)

Build a year label

="Year " & YEAR(A1)

Extract fiscal year (April–March example)

=YEAR(A1 - 90)

Extract ISO year (not always same as calendar year)

=YEAR(A1 - WEEKDAY(A1;2) + 4)

Extract year from a timestamp with timezone text

=YEAR(DATEVALUE(LEFT(A1;10)))

Extract year from YYYYMMDD text

=YEAR(DATEVALUE(LEFT(A1;4) & "-" & MID(A1;5;2) & "-" & RIGHT(A1;2)))

Edge Cases and Behavior Details

YEAR returns an integer

Accepts:

  • Real dates
  • Serial numbers
  • DATEVALUE outputs
  • ISO date strings

Invalid text → Err:502

YEAR ignores:

  • Time components
  • Timezones
  • Seconds/milliseconds
  • Everything after the date portion

YEAR of a number < 1 → Err:502

(Serial numbers must represent valid dates)

YEAR of an error → error propagates

Common Errors and Fixes

Err:502 — Invalid argument

Cause:

  • Text not recognized as a date
  • Negative serial numbers
  • Non-numeric values

Fix:

  • Wrap with DATEVALUE
  • Clean text with TRIM or SUBSTITUTE

Wrong year due to locale parsing

Fix:

  • Convert to ISO format before DATEVALUE

YEAR returns unexpected value from serial numbers

Cause:

  • Serial numbers represent days since epoch

Fix:

  • Ensure imported values are converted properly

Best Practices

  • Use YEAR for grouping and reporting
  • Normalize text dates with DATEVALUE
  • Use YEAR with MONTH and DAY to reconstruct dates
  • Use YEAR with TODAY() for dynamic calculations
  • Use YEAR for fiscal/ISO year logic
  • Use YEAR with EDATE/EOMONTH for period analysis
YEAR is your date‑extraction anchor — perfect for reporting, grouping, validation, and building robust date‑driven workflows.
  • Use MONTH and DAY for other components
  • Use DATE to construct dates
  • Use DATEVALUE for text conversion
  • Use NOW and TODAY for dynamic values
  • Use YEARFRAC for fractional year calculations

By mastering YEAR and its companion functions, you can build powerful, reliable, and fully structured date‑analysis workflows in LibreOffice Calc.

Reproducible example (tested in LibreOffice Calc)

This standalone example was calculated in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.3.2 and matched the expected value. It is a practical cross-check of one usage, not proof that every example elsewhere on this page is correct.

=YEAR(DATE(2025;1;15))

Expected result: 2025.

Extract the year from a date.

If the result differs, check the referenced cells, argument separators and number formatting. For more information, consult the LibreOffice Calc official help.