Comparing dates in Python

In Python, comparing dates is straightforward with the help of the datetime module. You can use basic comparison operators like <, >, ==, and != to compare two date or datetime objects directly. Below are a few common and practical ways to compare and sort dates in Python.

Basic Date Comparison

You can directly compare two datetime objects using standard comparison operators.

d1 > d2: False
d1 < d2: True
d1 != d2: True

Explanation:

• datetime() creates a date-time object.
• operators like >, <, and != work directly on datetime objects.

Sorting a List of Dates

Dates can be stored in a list and sorted using the sort() method.

2011-04-07
2011-05-02
2015-06-29
2025-04-22

Explanation:

• date.today() returns the current date.
• timedelta(days=25) adds days to a date.
• sort() arranges the list of dates in ascending order.

Using timedelta for Comparison

We can also use subtraction between date objects and compare the result using timedelta.

d1 > d2: False
d1 < d2: True
d1 != d2: True

Explanation:

• Subtracting two dates returns a timedelta object.
• Comparing with timedelta(0) shows which date is earlier/later.
• != checks if the dates are different.

Also read: sort(), timedelta, datetime object.