How to Import an Excel File Into Python using pandas

In this tutorial, you will import an Excel file using Python and pandas.

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_excel("path-to-file/file-name.xlsx")

Step-by-Step Example

Step 1: Install the pandas and openpyxl

If you don't have the packages pandas and openpyxl already installed, execute the following command in your terminal:

pip install pandas openpyxl

Note that we will use the pandas function read_excel below which depends on openpyxl.

Step 2: Import an Excel file

Let's say, you have an excel file named fish.xlsx on your desktop that contains the following data:

Create a Python script that loads the excel file into a pandas DataFrame and prints it to the terminal:

import os
import pandas as pd

desktop_path = os.path.expanduser("~/Desktop")

df = pd.read_excel(desktop_path + "/fish.xlsx")

print(df)

Note that if the excel file contains multiple sheets, you have to specify the sheet that you want to import:

import os
import pandas as pd


desktop_path = os.path.expanduser("~/Desktop")

df = pd.read_excel(desktop_path + "/fish.xlsx", sheet_name="Sheet1")

print(df)

Now if you run the script, you should see the following output in your terminal:

    fish_name  egg_count
0      salmon       5000
1  pufferfish        200
2       shark          2

That's it! You just learned how to import an Excel file using Python and pandas.