How to Calculate Age in Excel (3 Easy Methods) — With Formula Examples [2026]

Last Updated: March 2026

Have you ever stared at a spreadsheet full of birth dates and thought — “How do I turn these dates into ages without doing the math myself?”

You are not alone. HR managers do it for employee records. Teachers do it for student lists. Parents do it for school admission forms. And sometimes, you just want to know your own exact age in Excel.

The problem is — most people either do it manually (which takes forever) or use the wrong formula (which gives wrong answers).

This guide fixes that. You will learn 3 simple methods to calculate age in Excel, step by step, in plain English. No experience needed.

Why Calculating Age in Excel Is Tricky (And How to Fix It)

You might think: just subtract the birth year from today’s year. Easy, right?

Not exactly.

Let’s say someone was born on December 20, 1990. Today is March 26, 2026. If you do 2026 - 1990 = 36 — but wait. Their birthday has not happened yet this year. So they are actually still 35.

Simple subtraction gets it wrong every time. Excel’s built-in date formulas get it right — because they check the exact day and month, not just the year.

That is why you need the right formula. And that is exactly what this guide shows you.

What You Need Before You Start

Just two things:

1. A date of birth in a cell Type the birth date in any cell — for example, cell A2. Make sure Excel reads it as a date. Quick check: if the value is right-aligned in the cell, it is a proper date ✅. If it is left-aligned, Excel thinks it is text and formulas will not work ❌.

2. Today’s date using TODAY() Instead of typing today’s date manually, use =TODAY() in your formula. This updates automatically every single day — so your age calculations are always accurate without touching anything.

That is all. Now let’s get into the 3 methods.

Method 1: DATEDIF Formula — Most Accurate (Recommended)

DATEDIF is Excel’s best-kept secret for age calculation. It calculates the exact difference between two dates — and it handles leap years, different month lengths, and everything else automatically.

One important thing: DATEDIF does not appear in Excel’s autocomplete suggestions. This confuses a lot of people. But do not worry — just type it manually and it works perfectly in all Excel versions.

The Formula

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")

What Each Part Means

Example

If A2 contains 15/01/1990 and today is March 26, 2026:

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")
→ Result: 36

This is the formula most professionals use. It is accurate, beginner-friendly, and works everywhere.

Method 2: YEARFRAC Formula — Simple Backup Method

If DATEDIF gives you an error for any reason, YEARFRAC is your next best option. It calculates what fraction of a year has passed between two dates — then INT() strips the decimal to give a clean whole number.

The Formula

=INT(YEARFRAC(A2, TODAY()))

What Each Part Means

Example

=INT(YEARFRAC("15/01/1990", TODAY()))
→ Result: 36

When to use this: If you are on an older version of Excel or if DATEDIF is throwing errors. Results are very similar to DATEDIF for most dates.

Method 3: Calculate Exact Age in Years, Months, and Days

Sometimes you need more than just years. For school admissions, medical forms, or visa applications — you need the full breakdown: years, months, and days.

Use these three formulas together. Put each one in a separate cell:

Formula for Years

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")

Formula for Remaining Months

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "YM")

Formula for Remaining Days

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "MD")

Example Result

If someone was born on January 15, 1990 and today is March 26, 2026:

So their exact age is: 36 years, 2 months, and 11 days.

Combine Into One Cell (Optional)

If you want everything in a single cell, use this formula:

=DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),"Y")&" years, "&DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),"YM")&" months, "&DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),"MD")&" days"

Result: 36 years, 2 months, 11 days

How to Calculate Age for Multiple People at Once

Got a list of 50 people? No problem. You do not need to type the formula 50 times.

Step 1: Put all birth dates in column A (A2, A3, A4… and so on)

Step 2: In cell B2, type your formula:

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")

Step 3: Click on cell B2. You will see a small green square at the bottom-right corner of the cell. Double-click that square — or drag it down.

Excel will automatically copy the formula for every row. All ages calculated in seconds.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

Error 1: #NUM! Error

Cause: The end date (TODAY) is earlier than the start date (birth date). This happens when the date is typed wrong — for example, the year is entered as 2090 instead of 1990.

Fix: Check the birth date in cell A2. Make sure it is correct.

Error 2: #VALUE! Error

Cause: Excel does not recognize the date as a real date. It is reading it as text.

Fix:

• Select the cell with the date
• Go to Format Cells → Date
• Re-type the date in the correct format

Error 3: Formula Shows a Date Instead of a Number

Cause: The result cell is formatted as “Date” instead of “Number.”

Fix:

• Select the result cell
• Right-click → Format Cells
• Choose Number → General
• Press OK

DATEDIF vs YEARFRAC — Which One Should You Use?

Bottom line: Use DATEDIF for most situations. Use YEARFRAC as a backup if DATEDIF gives errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does DATEDIF not appear in Excel suggestions?

DATEDIF is a legacy function that Microsoft kept in Excel for compatibility but never added to the official function library. It works perfectly — just type it manually without relying on autocomplete.

Can I calculate age in Excel without using TODAY()?

Yes. Instead of TODAY(), you can type a specific date directly in the formula like this:

=DATEDIF(A2, "26/03/2026", "Y")

But using TODAY() is much better because it updates automatically every day.

How do I calculate age in Excel in months only?

Use this formula:

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "M")

This gives total months lived — for example, 434 months instead of 36 years.

Why is my age showing as one year less than expected?

This happens when the birthday has not occurred yet in the current year. DATEDIF handles this correctly — so if you are getting wrong results, double-check that the birth date in your cell is formatted as a date, not text.

What is the easiest formula to calculate age in Excel?

For most beginners, this is the easiest:

=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")

Just replace A2 with the cell that has your birth date.

Prefer Something Faster Than Excel?

Excel formulas are great when you are already working in a spreadsheet. But if you just need to calculate someone’s exact age right now — in seconds — an online calculator is much faster.

Easy Age Calculator gives you your exact age in years, months, days, hours, and seconds instantly. No formulas. No spreadsheet. Just enter a date of birth and you are done.

For bulk data with hundreds of records, stick with Excel. For quick one-time calculations, the online tool saves you a lot of time.

Summary — The 3 Methods at a Glance

That is everything you need to calculate age in Excel — whether you have one person or a thousand.

Start with Method 1. If it works, you are done. If not, try Method 2. And if you need the full years-months-days breakdown, Method 3 has you covered.

Further reading: Microsoft’s official guide on working with dates and times in Excel useful if you want to explore more date functions beyond age calculation.

Found this helpful? Share it with someone who is struggling with Excel date formulas.