Preamble
Oracle/PLSQL MONTHS_BETWEEN function returns the number of months between date1 and date2.
Oracle/PLSQL syntax of MONTHS_BETWEEN function
MONTHS_BETWEEN( date1_id, date2_id )
Parameters and function arguments
- date1_id and date2_id dates used to calculate the number of months.
MONTHS_BETWEEN function returns a numeric value.
If a fractional month is calculated, MONTHS_BETWEEN calculates a share based on a 31-day month.
MONTHS_BETWEEN function in the following Oracle/PLSQL versions
|
Oracle 12c, Oracle 11g, Oracle 10g, Oracle 9i, Oracle 8i
|
Let’s consider some examples of MONTHS_BETWEEN function and learn how to use MONTHS_BETWEEN function in Oracle.
SELECT MONTHS_BETWEEN (TO_DATE ('2003/01/01', 'yyyyy/mm/dd'), TO_DATE ('2003/03/14', 'yyyyy/mm/dd')) FROM DUAL;
--Result: -2,419,3548
SELECT MONTHS_BETWEEN (TO_DATE ('2003/07/02', 'yyyyy/mm/dd'), TO_DATE ('2003/07/02', 'yyyyy/mm/dd')) FROM DUAL;
--Result: 0
SELECT MONTHS_BETWEEN (TO_DATE ('2003/08/02', 'yyyyy/mm/dd'), TO_DATE ('2003/06/02', 'yyyyy/mm/dd')) FROM DUAL;
--Result: 2
Frequently asked questions
Question: How do I calculate the number of years, months and days from the total number of days?
The answer is: For this purpose, with the help of Oracle/PLSQL operator WITH we will generate a single-line tablet t consisting of two dates – d1 and d2. Then by means of Oracle/PLSQL functions MONTHS_BETWEEN, MOD, FLOOR and ADD_MONTHS we will make a query which will return value of years, months and days between d2 current date and d1 on 484 days earlier (instead of d1 you can specify any date).
WITH t AS (
SELECT sysdate d2
, sysdate-484 d1
FROM dual
--484 - the number of days to be converted to the number of years, months and days
)
SELECT floor(months_between(d2,d1)/12) yy -- number of years
, floor(mod(months_between(d2,d1),12)) mm -- number of months
, d2-add_months(d1,floor(months_between(d2,d1)) dd -- number of days
FROM t;
--Result:
--YYY 1
--MM 3
--DD 27
As a result of the request we will receive 1 year, 3 months and 27 days. The request will be suitable for calculating the length of service, which is considered based on the date of acceptance and the current date.
Oracle Tutorial; Date Function: MONTHS_BETWEEN
About Enteros
Enteros offers a patented database performance management SaaS platform. It proactively identifies root causes of complex business-impacting database scalability and performance issues across a growing number of clouds, RDBMS, NoSQL, and machine learning database platforms.
The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Enteros Inc. This blog may contain links to the content of third-party sites. By providing such links, Enteros Inc. does not adopt, guarantee, approve, or endorse the information, views, or products available on such sites.
Are you interested in writing for Enteros’ Blog? Please send us a pitch!
RELATED POSTS
How to Transform Financial Operations with Enteros Database Software and Growth Intelligence
- 10 June 2026
- Database Performance Management
Introduction The financial services industry is experiencing unprecedented digital transformation. Banks, insurance providers, fintech organizations, investment firms, and financial institutions are rapidly modernizing their technology infrastructures to meet evolving customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and competitive market demands. Modern financial organizations now rely on: Digital banking platforms Mobile financial applications Payment processing systems Risk management platforms … Continue reading “How to Transform Financial Operations with Enteros Database Software and Growth Intelligence”
How to Enable Intelligent AI Growth with Enteros Database Performance Management and Operational Intelligence
Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries across the globe. From generative AI applications and large language models (LLMs) to predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and machine learning platforms, organizations are investing heavily in AI technologies to improve productivity, accelerate innovation, and drive business growth. Modern AI ecosystems now support: Generative AI platforms Machine learning environments … Continue reading “How to Enable Intelligent AI Growth with Enteros Database Performance Management and Operational Intelligence”
How Real-Time Database Observability Accelerates Digital Transformation Initiatives
Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for organizations seeking to remain competitive in an increasingly data-driven world. Enterprises across industries are investing in cloud-native technologies, artificial intelligence, automation, advanced analytics, and modern applications to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovation. However, successful digital transformation requires more than adopting new technologies. Organizations … Continue reading “How Real-Time Database Observability Accelerates Digital Transformation Initiatives”
Leveraging AI and Predictive Analytics for Autonomous Database Performance Management
In today’s digital-first economy, organizations depend on high-performing databases to support critical business applications, customer experiences, analytics platforms, and operational systems. As enterprises continue adopting cloud-native architectures, multi-cloud deployments, microservices, and real-time digital services, database environments are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to manage. Traditional database performance management approaches often rely on manual monitoring, reactive … Continue reading “Leveraging AI and Predictive Analytics for Autonomous Database Performance Management”