How to Sort Dates in Excel by Year (4 Methods)

Dataset Overview

Let’s consider a dataset of employees with their ID, Name, Joining Date, and Year. Here’s an overview of the dataset that we’ll use to demonstrate the 4 methods:

how to sort dates in excel by year

Method 1 – Sorting Dates with Excel’s YEAR Function and Sort & Filter Command

Step 1

Select cell E5.
Enter the following formula:

=YEAR(D5)

Where D5 is the serial_number of the YEAR function. The YEAR function will return the year of that date.

Press Enter to get the year format for the date (e.g., 2019).

Combine YEAR Function and Sort & Filter Command to Sort Dates by Year in Excel

AutoFill the YEAR function for the remaining cells in column E.

Step 2

Select the cell range from E5 to E13.
Go to the Home tab and choose Sort Smallest to Largest from the Sort & Filter drop-down list under the Editing option.

Combine YEAR Function and Sort & Filter Command to Sort Dates by Year in Excel

Alternatively, right-click on the selected cells and choose Sort. Then select Sort Smallest to Largest (for ascending order).

In the Sort Warning dialog box, select Expand the Selection and click the Sort button.

Combine YEAR Function and Sort & Filter Command to Sort Dates by Year in Excel

The dates will be sorted by year.

Combine YEAR Function and Sort & Filter Command to Sort Dates by Year in Excel

Read More: How to Sort by Month in Excel

Method 2 – Applying SORTBY Function to Sort Dates by Year Without Mixing Data

Overview of the SORTBY Function

The syntax of the function is:

SORTBY (array, by_array, [sort_order], [array/order], ...)

The arguments:

array -> This is a required argument, and it is for sorting the range or array.

by_array -> This is another required argument, and this indicates the range or array to sort by.

sort_order -> This is an optional argument. Only for sorting orders. 1 = ascending (default), -1 = descending.

array/order -> Another optional argument. Additional array and sort sequence pairs.

Steps

Create a similar heading as shown in the screenshot.
Select cell G5 for convenience.

Applying SORTBY Function to Sort Dates by Year Without Mixing Data

Enter the SORTBY function:

=SORTBY(B5:E13,E5:E13,1)

Formula Explanation:

Here,

- B5:E13 represents the range to be sorted (employee information).
- E5:E13 is the range of years for sorting.
- 1 is used for ascending sorting.

Press Enter to get the sorted data.

Applying SORTBY Function to Sort Dates by Year Without Mixing Data

Method 3 – Using Advanced Filter Tool to Sort Dates by Year in Multiple Columns

Steps

From the Data tab, go to Data, select Sort & Filter and choose Advanced.

Using Advanced Filter Feature to Sort Dates by Year in Multiple Columns

In the Advanced Filter dialog box:
- Select data range $B$5:$E$13 in the List range drop-down box.
- Choose data range $C$15:$D$16 in the Criteria range drop-down box.
- Click OK.

You’ll get the sorted result based on the specified condition (joining dates between 1-1-2013 and 12-12-2019).

Read More: How to Sort by Date in Excel

Method 4 – Sorting Dates by Year with Excel Sort Command (Chronological Order)

This method is the easiest way to sort your data.

Steps

Select the Table Range
- First, select the table range from cell B4 to E13.

Access the Sort Command
- Go to the Data tab.
- Under the Sort & Filter group, click on Sort.

Utilizing Sort Command to Sort Dates by Year in Chronological Order

Configure the Sort Dialog Box
- The Sort dialog box will appear.
- In the Sort by drop-down box, select Joining Date.
- Under Sort On, choose Cell Values.
- Customize the order according to your preference. For chronological sorting, select Oldest to Newest.
- Press the OK button.