How to Use QUARTER() Function in MySQL: Syntax and Examples

In MySQL, use the QUARTER() function to get the quarter (1 to 4) of a given date. For example, QUARTER('2024-05-15') returns 2 because May is in the second quarter of the year.

Syntax

The QUARTER() function takes one argument, a date or datetime value, and returns an integer from 1 to 4 representing the quarter of the year.

• QUARTER(date): Returns the quarter number (1 to 4) for the given date.

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QUARTER(date)

Example

This example shows how to use QUARTER() to find the quarter of different dates.

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SELECT '2024-01-10' AS sample_date, QUARTER('2024-01-10') AS quarter_number;

SELECT '2024-05-15' AS sample_date, QUARTER('2024-05-15') AS quarter_number;

SELECT '2024-09-30' AS sample_date, QUARTER('2024-09-30') AS quarter_number;

SELECT '2024-12-25' AS sample_date, QUARTER('2024-12-25') AS quarter_number;

Output

sample_date | quarter_number
2024-01-10 | 1

sample_date | quarter_number
2024-05-15 | 2

sample_date | quarter_number
2024-09-30 | 3

sample_date | quarter_number
2024-12-25 | 4

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using QUARTER() include:

• Passing a string that is not a valid date format, which returns NULL.
• Using QUARTER() on a non-date column without conversion.
• Expecting zero-based quarters; quarters start at 1, not 0.

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/* Wrong: invalid date string returns NULL */
SELECT QUARTER('invalid-date');

/* Right: use valid date string */
SELECT QUARTER('2024-03-31');

Output

NULL

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Quick Reference

Function	Description	Returns
QUARTER(date)	Returns the quarter of the year for the given date	1, 2, 3, or 4
Valid date formats	Accepts 'YYYY-MM-DD', datetime, or timestamp	Quarter number or NULL if invalid
Invalid input	Non-date strings or NULL	Returns NULL

Key Takeaways

Use QUARTER(date) to get the quarter number (1 to 4) from a date in MySQL.

Ensure the input is a valid date string or date/datetime type to avoid NULL results.

Quarters are 1-based: Q1 = Jan-Mar, Q2 = Apr-Jun, Q3 = Jul-Sep, Q4 = Oct-Dec.

Invalid or malformed dates passed to QUARTER() return NULL.

QUARTER() is useful for grouping or filtering data by quarter in reports.