How to use Power BI DAX FORMAT Function

Power BI DAX FORMAT Function

FORMAT function helps us display dates, numbers, currency values and percentages in the format we want. It is particularly useful when displaying dates, numbers, currency values, and percentages in a readable format in Power BI reports and dashboards.

Syntax:

FORMAT(Value, Format_String, [Locale_Name])
Note:
Value: The column or measure that we want to format.
Format_String: The format we want to apply.
Locale_Name: An optional parameter that specifies the language and regional formatting.

Note: FORMAT converts the result into text.

Basic example:

Formatted Order Date =
FORMAT(
FactInternetSales[OrderDate],
"dd-MM-yyyy"
)

For example, a date of 30 October 2026 will be displayed as 30-10-2026

Date format table

Format stringExample outputDescription
"d"10/30/2026Short date (locale-dependent)
"dd"30Day with two digits
"ddd"FriShort weekday
"dddd"FridayFull weekday
"M"10Month number
"MM"10Month with two digits
"MMM"OctShort month name
"MMMM"OctoberFull month name
"yy"26Two-digit year
"yyyy"2026Four-digit year
"dd/MM/yyyy"30/10/2026Day/month/year
"MM/dd/yyyy"10/30/2026Month/day/year
"dd-MM-yyyy"30-10-2026Hyphen-separated date
"yyyy-MM-dd"2026-10-30ISO-style date display
"dd MMM yyyy"30 Oct 2026Readable date
"dd MMMM yyyy"30 October 2026Full readable date
"MMM yyyy"Oct 2026Month and year
"MMMM yyyy"October 2026Full month and year
"yyyy MMMM"2026 OctoberYear followed by month
"dddd, dd MMMM yyyy"Friday, 30 October 2026Complete date with weekday

Note: Short date formats and localized names can vary according to the locale setting.

Example:

Formatted Order date =
FORMAT(
FactInternetSales[OrderDate],
"MMM yyyy"
)

Time Formatting in DAX

DAX FORMAT – Time Format Strings

Format StringExample OutputDescription
"h"2Hour, 12-hour clock
"hh"02Hour with two digits
"H"14Hour, 24-hour clock
"HH"14Hour with two digits
"m"5Minute
"mm"05Minute with two digits
"s"9Second
"ss"09Second with two digits
"h:mm"2:05Hour and minute
"hh:mm"02:05Two-digit hour and minute
"HH:mm"14:0524-hour time
"hh:mm:ss"02:05:09Time with seconds
"hh:mm AM/PM"02:05 PM12-hour time with AM/PM
"HH:mm:ss"14:05:0924-hour time with seconds
Format stringExample outputDescription
"h"14Hour
"hh"14Hour with leading zero
"n"5Minute
"nn"05Minute with leading zero
"s"9Second
"ss"09Second with leading zero
"h:nn"14:05Hour and minute
"hh:nn:ss"14:05:09Hour, minute and second
"h:nn AM/PM"2:05 PM12-hour display
"hh:nn:ss AMPM"02:05:09 PM12-hour display with seconds

Number Formatting in DAX

The FORMAT function supports different number formats, including integers, decimal numbers, percentages and scientific notation.

Complete number format table

Format stringExample inputOutput
"0"1250.751251
"0.0"1250.751250.8
"0.00"1250.751250.75
"#,##0"12500001,250,000
"#,##0.00"1250000.51,250,000.50
"#,##0.000"1250.51,250.500
"00000"12500125
"#,##0.##"1250.51,250.5
"0%"0.2525%
"0.00%"0.256725.67%
"0.0E+00"125001.3E+04
"General Number"1250.751250.75
"Standard"1250.751,250.75
"Fixed"1250.751250.75
"Scientific"125001.25E+04

Example:

Sales With Decimal =
FORMAT(
[Total Sales],
"#,##0.00"
)

Currency Formatting in DAX

FORMAT can display values with currency symbols.

Complete currency format table

Format stringExample inputExample output
"$#,##0"1250000$1,250,000
"$#,##0.00"1250000.5$1,250,000.50
"₹#,##0"1250000₹1,250,000
"₹#,##,##0"1250000₹12,50,000
"₹#,##,##0.00"1250000.5₹12,50,000.00
"€#,##0.00"1250000.5€1,250,000.50
"£#,##0.00"1250000.5£1,250,000.50

Example:

Sales USD =
FORMAT(
[Total Sales],
"$#,##0.00"
)

Common locale codes

LocaleRegionExample
"en-US"United States12/30/2026
"en-GB"United Kingdom30/12/2026
"en-IN"IndiaIndian regional conventions
"de-DE"Germany30.12.2026
"fr-FR"France30/12/2026
"ja-JP"JapanJapanese regional conventions
"es-ES"SpainSpanish regional conventions