MONTH Function

Summary

The Excel MONTH function returns the month from a valid date as a whole number from 1 to 12.

MONTH is useful when you want to group data by month, sort records chronologically, build seasonal reports, or turn a full date into a month-based category.

MONTH is often used as a grouping tool. It makes it easier to build monthly summaries, seasonal logic, or reporting labels while leaving the original date untouched. That keeps the worksheet readable because one formula can pull out the month number and another can turn that number into a name or category if needed.

Syntax

=MONTH(serial_number)

The argument is called serial_number because Excel stores dates as serial values internally. In practice, you can use a cell reference, a date formula, or another function that returns a valid date.

Arguments

• serial_number - A valid Excel date from which you want to extract the month.

MONTH vs Related Date Functions

MONTH works together with other date-part functions.

Use MONTH when you need the numeric position of the month. Use TEXT when you want a readable month label like "April" or "Apr".

Using MONTH

MONTH is straightforward: pass in a valid date and Excel returns the month number. Microsoft recommends using real Excel dates or DATE(...) instead of ambiguous text dates, because text input can be interpreted differently depending on locale and settings.

Microsoft also notes that YEAR, MONTH, and DAY return Gregorian values based on the underlying date, regardless of how the date may be displayed in the worksheet. That makes MONTH reliable for grouping and analysis even when the display format looks different.

A common use is creating helper columns for pivot tables, charts, filters, and month-based summaries. Another is fiscal reporting, where the calendar month is converted into a custom fiscal-month number.

Example 1 - Extract the Month from a Date

The simplest use of MONTH is to pull the month number from a full date.

=MONTH("2026-04-06")   // Returns 4

This is useful when a worksheet stores full dates but the analysis only needs the month part.

Example 2 - Extract the Month from an Existing Record

MONTH is commonly used on dates already stored in tables such as order dates, invoice dates, or transaction dates.

=MONTH(A3)

If A3 contains 2025-11-20, the result is 11. That makes the function useful for grouping and month-level reporting.

Example 3 - Return the Current Month

Combine MONTH with TODAY when you need a month number that updates automatically.

=MONTH(TODAY())

This is helpful for dashboards, current-period checks, and formulas that should always reflect the current month.

Example 4 - Map to a Fiscal Month

If the fiscal year starts in July instead of January, you can remap the calendar month into a fiscal-month position.

=MOD(MONTH(A2)-7,12)+1

For a date in April, this returns fiscal month 10 in a July-start year. This is a useful pattern for internal reporting calendars.

Conclusion Recap

MONTH is useful when you want to turn a full date into something easier to group or compare. In this lesson, that meant pulling month numbers from records, getting the current month, and remapping calendar dates into a fiscal-month system.

The key thing to remember is that MONTH returns a number, not a month name. If you need logic, sorting, or grouping, that number is usually exactly what you want. If you want a label like April, formatting or TEXT is the better choice.

• Summary: MONTH extracts the month from a valid date.
• Output: It returns a whole number from 1 to 12.
• Common uses: Grouping, seasonal analysis, pivot tables, and dashboard helpers.
• Display tip: Use TEXT if you want month names instead of month numbers.
• Best practice: Use real Excel dates or DATE(...) for reliable results.
• Advanced use: Combine MONTH with MOD for fiscal-month mapping.