How to Calculate the Accurate Age Difference in Years in MySQL?

Calculating Age Difference in Years in MySQL: A Comprehensive Solution

Determining the age of individuals stored in a database is a common task. However, calculating the difference in years between two dates can be challenging, as conventional methods often result in inaccuracies or undesirable data formats.

Suppose we have a simplified table named "student" with columns "id" and "birth_date." The goal is to calculate the age of each student in years.

Initial Attempts and Challenges

Using the following query:

select id, datediff(curdate(),birth_date) 
from student

we obtain the age difference in days, which is not the desired outcome. Division by 365:

select id, datediff(curdate(),birth_date) / 365
from student

produces a floating-point value instead of an integer. Finally, the calculation:

select id, year(curdate())-year(birth_date) 
from student

results in inaccuracies due to birthdays occurring after the current date, yielding incorrect age calculations.

An Alternative Solution

To address these challenges, consider the following query:

SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(YEAR, date_of_birth, CURDATE()) AS difference FROM student

Using the TIMESTAMPDIFF() function ensures an accurate calculation of years, even if birthdays fall within the current year.

For greater flexibility, replace "YEAR" with "MONTH" or "DAY" to calculate differences in months or days, respectively.

This solution provides an accurate and precise method for determining the age difference in years between two dates stored in a MySQL database.

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