How to Sort by Date in Excel?
Last Updated :
27 May, 2024
Excel provides various types of sorting formats e.g. “sort A to Z”, “Sort Z to A”, “Sort by color” and “Sort by date” etc. Sorting in Excel is nothing but arranging data into some meaningful order to make it easier to understand, analyze, or visualize.
Here, we will be discussing how to sort by Date in Excel whether it may be Years, Months, Days, or weeks.
How to Sort by Date in Excel?
How to Sort by Date in Excel?
Chronological or reverse chronological order is the easiest way to sort data by date. This sorts the data in ascending or descending order. In Excel, you must have the dates in one single format to sort the data by date otherwise they do not always work.
To sort the dates in chronological order follow the below steps:
Step 1: Select the dates which you want to sort in ascending or descending order.
Step 2: Click Home tab -> Click on the arrow under Sort & Filter, and then click Sort Oldest to Newest.
As a result, data is sorted from oldest to newest.
Step 3: If you want to sort dates from Newest to Oldest, then Click Home tab -> Click on the arrow under Sort & Filter, and then click Sort Newest to Oldest.
As a result, data is sorted by newest to oldest.
How to Sort Data by Month in Excel
If you want to sort dates by month, ignoring the year, then you have to add a helper column, extract the month number, and sort by that column because the default Excel sort feature always considers the year.
You can use the "MONTH" function to get a month from the date.
Syntax:
" =MONTH (serial_number) "
Now follow the below steps to sort by month in Excel:
Step 1: Extract the month number from the date column.
In the above example, the month number is extracted from the "date of birth" column by using the " =MONTH(D3) " formula:
Step 2: Sort the table by the Month column, select the month range which you want to sort. Then Click Home tab -> Click on the arrow under Sort & Filter, and then click Sort Smallest to Largest.
As a result, data is sorted by month smallest to largest.
How to Sort Data by Month and Day in Excel
Excel TEXT functions are assisting for it. It converts a date into a text string in the specified format. For our function, the "mm-dd" format code will work.
Syntax:
" =Text(Value, format_text) "
Now follow the below steps to sort the by Month and day in Excel:
Step 1: Extract the month and day from the date column.
In the above example, the "month and date" is extracted from the "date of birth" column by using the =TEXT(D3,"mm-dd") formula:
Step 2: Sort the table by the Month and Day column, select the Month and Day column range which you want to sort. Then Click Home tab -> Click on the arrow under Sort & Filter, and then click Sort Z to A.
As a result, data is now sorted by "month and day", largest to smallest.
How to Sort Data by Year in Excel
When you want to sort data by year, the easiest way is to arrange dates in chronological order with Excel's ascending sort (oldest to newest) option.
.png)
Sort data by YearThis will sort dates by year, then by month, and then day as shown in the screenshot below.
.png)
Sorted Data
How to Sort by Days of the Week in Excel
Embraking the journey of sorting data by days of the week in Excel opens up a realm of insightful organization. This method empowers you to rearrange information in a sequence that mirrors the flow of the week, a vital perspective for various analytic pursuits.
The path to weekday-based sorting demands the creation of a helper column, mirroring previous strategies. In this iteration, however, the helper column takes on the form of the WEEKDAY formula. This formula delivers a numerical representation corresponding to the day of the week.
For a Week from Sunday(1) to Saturday(7), the formula used is:
" =WEEKDAY(A2) "
Unleashing the Weekday Sorting
With the helper column meticulously curated, the act of sorting unfurls with precision. Each data point aligns itself with its respective day of the week, offering a snapshot of your information's temporal rhythm.
As you go through the mechanics of weekday-based sorting, remember that Excel's versatility thrives on these strategies. By unveiling patterns hidden within your data's temporal context, you harness the power of organization to elevate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering the process of sorting by date in Excel can significantly enhance your data analysis and organizational skills. By utilizing features like the Sort function, custom sort options, and even advanced techniques like creating helper columns, you can optimize your spreadsheets for better readability and more insightful data interpretation. This skill not only boosts your productivity but also ensures that your data is always presented in a clear and logical sequence.
Similar Reads
How to Sort Data by Color in Excel? Sorting Data By Color allows us to segregate the data cells of a specific color. There can be many ways to sort by color like sorting by Cell color, sorting by Font color, etc. We can also add multiple levels in sorting data by color. Sorting by Color makes analysis very easy and time-saving. Sort b
3 min read
How to Insert Dates in Excel? In Microsoft Excel, the date can be inserted in a variety of ways, including using a built-in function formula or manually entering the date, such as 22/03/2021, 22-Mar-21, 22-Mar, or March 22, 2021. These date functions are typically used for cash flows in accounting and financial analysis. In Exce
4 min read
How to Sort by Number in Excel? Excel is the world where you can organise your data. Organising data is a very big task especially when you are doing it on a large scale. In Excel, one can have around 17 million cells in one worksheet. So at this point, arranging the data in a systematic order is very important. If you are curious
2 min read
How to Add or Subtract Dates in Excel New to Excel and seeking a way to add or subtract dates, then this guide on how to add or subtract dates in Excel will expalin you the right way to manage project timelines, schedules, or due dates. We’ll break down simple steps to add or subtract dates using easy formulas and time-saving tips.How t
5 min read
How to Convert Text to Date in Excel Have you ever found yourself staring at a column of dates in Excel, only to realize they’re formatted as text? It's a common problem that can hinder your data analysis and reporting tasks. Fortunately, converting text to date in Excel is straightforward. If you're looking to use the Text to Columns
5 min read
How to Sort Data in Excel: Easy Step by Step Process Sorting data in Excel is a simple yet powerful way to organize your information, making it easier to analyze and interpret. Whether you're working with a small dataset or a large table, knowing how to sort data in Excel can help you find the information you need quickly. In this guide, we will cover
5 min read
How to Sort a Pandas DataFrame by Date? In the real world, we can come across datasets of any form that may include the date inside them too. These datasets can be present in any file format like .CSV, .xlsx, .txt, etc. To load this data inside Python, we use a library named Pandas which provides us a plethora of functions and methods to
3 min read
How to Sort Subtotals in Excel Sorting and adding subtotals is one of the features of Excel which is important for organizing and summarizing data in a structured manner. In this article, you will see the overview of Sorting and Adding Subtotals to Excel and then will discuss all the steps to perform, allowing you to take control
4 min read
How to Use Slicers in Advanced Excel? Slicers are one of the best tools to analyze data quickly. Slicers can only be applied to tables and pivot tables. They help filter data quickly on multiple levels. It also shows the current filtering state of given data. Where we can find Slicers? Go to Insert Tab and in the right-most corner, you
2 min read
How to Change Date Format in Excel You know that Excel is one of the best spreadsheets you can work on. Excel is the first preference of many users to create an impressive data set. Have you tried filling in the Date on the sheet? Date with the data is a common practice done by users in Excel to get information timeline. To help orga
8 min read