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Quick Answer

DAYS Function

Counts the days from start_date to end_date.

✓ Excel✓ Google SheetsExcel Excel 2013+

Syntax

DAYS
(end_date, start_date)

Parameters

ParameterDescriptionRequired
end_dateThe later date. This is the FIRST argument, the opposite of the intuitive order.Required
start_dateThe earlier date. This is the SECOND argument.Required

Basic Example

Days between the 1st and 15th of January

=DAYS(DATE(2024, 1, 15), DATE(2024, 1, 1))
Result14

end_date (Jan 15) minus start_date (Jan 1) is 14 days. Note that end_date comes first.

Advanced Examples

Example 1: Spanning two months including a leap day

From Jan 1 to Mar 1 in a leap year

Counts each day across the boundary

=DAYS(DATE(2024, 3, 1), DATE(2024, 1, 1))
Result: 60
January (31 days) plus February 2024 (29 days, leap year) equals 60 days.

Example 2: Reversed dates give a negative result

Accidentally swapping the arguments

Order matters: end first, start second

=DAYS(DATE(2024, 1, 1), DATE(2024, 1, 15))
Result: -14
Because the earlier date is first, the result is negative (Jan 1 minus Jan 15 = -14).

How DAYS Works

DAYS simply subtracts start_date from end_date using their underlying serial numbers. Because dates are stored as integers, the difference is the exact number of days between them, including leap days.

1
Enter end_date first
Provide the later date as the first argument.
2
Enter start_date second
Provide the earlier date as the second argument.
3
Read the day count
The result is end_date minus start_date.

Important Notes & Limitations

  • Available only in Excel 2013 and later; in older versions use end_date - start_date directly.

  • The argument order is (end_date, start_date), the reverse of what many expect.

  • Text date strings must be parsed by Excel, otherwise you get #VALUE!.

Common Errors & Fixes

Negative result unexpectedlyThe arguments were supplied in the wrong order (start before end).

Fix: Put the later date first: DAYS(end_date, start_date).

#VALUE!One or both arguments are text Excel cannot interpret as a date.

Fix: Use real date serials or DATE(...) so the values are numeric.

Download Practice File

Practice DAYS with Real Data

Download a sample CSV file with pre-populated data and practice exercises for the DAYS function. Works in both Excel and Google Sheets.

Works in Google SheetsCompatible with ExcelIncludes exercises

File format: CSV (comma-separated values) - opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and all spreadsheet apps

Related Tutorials

Calculate Days Between Two Dates

Calculate days between two dates in Excel and Google Sheets with DAYS, DATEDIF, and NETWORKDAYS. Learn which formula counts total, working, or elapsed days and how to skip weekends.

Count Working Days Between Dates in Excel

Count working days between dates with NETWORKDAYS, NETWORKDAYS.INTL and WORKDAY in Excel and Google Sheets. Covers holidays, custom weekends and reverse dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is end_date the first argument?
DAYS(end_date, start_date) mirrors the subtraction end minus start; the order is easy to confuse with DATEDIF.
What is the difference from DATEDIF?
DAYS returns total days; DATEDIF can return years, months, or day remainders.
Does DAYS account for leap years?
Yes, because it works on serial numbers; Feb 29 simply exists as a day.