Introduction
Welcome to your ultimate Excel guide for age calculation using formulas like DATEDIF, YEARFRAC, and TODAY(). Whether you’re looking to compute age from date of birth, find age on a specific date, or track aging dynamically, this guide delivers step-by-step solutions in clear American English. Perfect for Excel beginners or seasoned users looking for precise, SEO-optimized help.
Age Calculator in Excel “from Today”
Basic formula (approximate):
=(TODAY() - B2) / 365This formula subtracts the DOB in cell B2 from today’s date and divides by 365, giving age in years with decimals. Simple and quick.
Rounded down to full years:
=INT((TODAY() - B2) / 365)The INT() function floors the result to the nearest whole year.
More Accurate: Use YEARFRAC()
Formula:
=INT(YEARFRAC(B2, TODAY(), 1))This uses actual year fractions and accounts for leap years when basis = 1.
The Built-In DATEDIF() Function
This hidden gem returns age cleanly in years, months, or days:
- Years only:
=DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "Y") - Full breakdown (Years, Months, Days):
=DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "Y") & " Years, " & DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "YM") & " Months, " & DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "MD") & " Days"
Perfect for user-friendly displays.
Age on a Specific Date
Replace TODAY() with a fixed date:
=DATEDIF(B2, DATE(2025,12,31), "Y")Or with a reference cell:
=DATEDIF(B2, C2, "Y")Predicting a Future Birthday
Calculate the date when someone turns N years old:
=DATE(YEAR(B2) + N, MONTH(B2), DAY(B2))Useful in planning or milestone tracking.
Handling Separate Day, Month, Year Fields
For DOB in separate cells:
=DATEDIF(
DATE(B2, MONTH(DATEVALUE(C2 & "1")), D2),
TODAY(),
"Y"
) & " Years, " & ... // and so onGreat for messy data layouts.
Cleaner Output with IF() Logic
Hide blank results when DOB is missing:
=IF(ISBLANK(B2), "", DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "Y") & " Years")Ensures dashboards look polished.
Real Tips from the Community
“Best result I found:
=INT(YEARFRAC(C5, TODAY()))” — BradG1250 on Microsoft Tech Community
These easy tips come from shared forums to improve your sheet’s usability.
Formula Comparison & Confidence
| Formula | Pros | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
(TODAY()-B2)/365 | Instantly intuitive | Quick approximations |
INT((TODAY()-B2)/365) | Cleaner, full-year only | Basic age in years |
INT(YEARFRAC(...)) | Leap-year inclusive | Accurate age calculations |
DATEDIF(...,"Y") | Built-in, straightforward | Simple year extraction |
DATEDIF full breakdown | Clear, user-friendly format | Displaying precise age |
| Fixed or referenced date | Flexible target dates | Planning or historical scenarios |
IF() logic | Cleaner dashboards | Handling blanks |
10. FAQs
Which formula is best for exact years?
Use DATEDIF(B2, TODAY(), "Y").
How to show age in years, months, and days?
Use concatenated DATEDIF() formulas.
What about leap years?
YEARFRAC() with basis = 1 handles leap-year differences best.
Hide output if DOB is blank?
Wrap your formula inside IF(ISBLANK(B2), "", ...).
Need age on a specific date?
Replace TODAY() with the date—or a cell reference.
Conclusion
Excel doesn’t have a direct “age” function—but armed with TODAY(), DATEDIF(), YEARFRAC(), and a little IF() logic, you can build precise, flexible, and user-friendly age calculators for your WordPress blog or data needs.
