Calculate the Difference Between Dates in Excel
By Szabó Gergő · Updated
Excel stores dates as serial numbers, so simple subtraction returns elapsed days. DATEDIF calculates completed units, while NETWORKDAYS counts working days.
Syntax and arguments
=end_date-start_date or =DATEDIF(start_date,end_date,"unit")- start_date
- The earlier valid Excel date.
- end_date
- The later valid Excel date.
- unit
- For DATEDIF: "d" for days, "m" for complete months, or "y" for complete years.
Date difference examples
Start date is A2 and end date is B2.
=B2-A2Format the result as General or Number to display the count of days.
A subscription begins in A2 and ends in B2.
=DATEDIF(A2,B2,"m")Only fully completed months are counted.
Start and end dates are A2 and B2; holidays are listed in H2:H20.
=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2,$H$2:$H$20)Weekends and listed holidays are excluded; both endpoints are included when they are workdays.
Common mistakes
Result displays as a date
Change the result cell format to General or Number.
Dates are actually text
Convert imported text with DATEVALUE or the Text to Columns tool before calculating.
DATEDIF returns #NUM!
Ensure the start date is not later than the end date.
Date difference FAQ
How do I include both the start and end date?
For calendar days, add 1 to end_date-start_date. Decide whether inclusive counting matches your business rule.
How do I calculate age in years?
Use DATEDIF(birth_date,TODAY(),"y") to return completed years.
Does NETWORKDAYS include holidays?
It excludes holidays only when you supply a holiday range as the optional third argument.