Dates
FEWS NET uses the Month DD, YYYY format for dates in writing, and the YYYY-MM-DD format in places where dates are represented numerically as data, such as in spreadsheets, databases, or UI fields.
These standards align with accepted date reference standards and aim to make FEWS NET’s date references intuitive to the widest range of international users.
Written date specifications
General
The day in a written date may include one or two digits. Always write out the full name of the month. Month names may be abbreviated to the first three letters when many months are written next to each other, such as in a table or on chart axis labels. If you abbreviate month names, do so consistently.
Include a comma after the year when you write a full date in a sentence. No comma is necessary after writing a partial date or range of partial dates.
Partial dates
Use Month YYYY when the specific day is unknown or not relevant.
When referring to dates inside a time range where the year has already been established, Month DD or “the DD of Month” with the appropriate suffix on the day may be used.
Months or years may be referenced on their own in appropriate context. Days should always appear in conjunction with a month unless you are referring to a repeated action or step in a process that occurs on a specific day each month.
Date ranges
Use an en dash and no spaces to connect two dates that are part of a range, such as Month DD–Month DD, YYYY, or Month DD–DD, YYYY. In sentences, “from the DD to the DD of Month” and similar parallel constructions are also acceptable.
Type an en dash on Windows computers using the keyboard shortcut ctrl + minus sign (-). On Mac computers, hold down the option key while pressing hyphen (-).
In a date range between two years, the second year may be abbreviated to the last two digits if it is in the same century as the first year.
Example
Correct: 2023–24
Correct: 2023–2024
Correct: 1998–2005
Incorrect: 1998–05
Do
Use the Month DD, YYYY format for dates in written contexts. Example: “The parties reached an agreement on January 15, 2025, but incursions continued on the outskirts.”
Use the YYYY-MM-DD format for dates in spreadsheets, databases, or UI fields. Note that hyphens, not en dashes, separate each section. Example: “2014-04-08”
Use partial dates when appropriate. Example: There have been multiple developments in January 2025. Heavy rains occurred from the 3rd to the 7th of January.”
Use en dashes without spaces to connect date ranges. Example: “the 2023–24 rainy season”
Consistently abbreviate month names to the first three letters if it helps save space in visualization axis labels or a user interface.
Don’t
Connect date ranges with anything other than an en dash. Examples: “2023/24 rainy season,” “June 2023 - June 2024”
Use numerical date formats in sentences. Example: “The conference took place on 12/24/2025”
Write the day before the month. Example: “10 April, 2025”
Abbreviate years that are not part of a range. Example: “The '23 rainy season”
Abbreviate month names in written contexts. Example: “See the Feb–Sep 2024 report”
Include a placeholder digit for a single digit day in non-numerical dates. Example: “The diplomatic party arrived on June 03, 2024”
Include a suffix on the day unless the day appears separately from the month. Example: “The market opened on January 25th, 2025”
Omit placeholder digits for numerical dates. Example: “2024-2-4”
Contact us if you have an application question or recommended addition to these standards.