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# PostgreSQL Python: Delete Data from Tables

**Summary**: This tutorial shows you how to delete data from PostgreSQL tables in Python.

This tutorial picks up from where the [Querying Data from Tables Tutorial](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/query) left off.

## Steps for deleting data from a PostgreSQL table in Python

To delete data from the PostgreSQL table in Python, you use the following steps:

First, [create a new database connection](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/connect) by calling the `connect()` function of the `psycopg2` module.

```python
conn = psycopg2.connect(config)
```

The `connect()` function returns a new `connection` object.

Next, create a new `Cursor` object by calling the `cursor()` method of the `Connection` object:

```python
cur = conn.cursor()
```

Then, execute the [DELETE](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-delete) statement. If you want to pass values to the `DELETE` statement, you use the placeholders ( `%s`) in the `DELETE` statement and pass input values to the second parameter of the `execute()` method.

The `DELETE` statement with a placeholder for the value of the `id` field is as follows:

```sql
DELETE FROM table_1 WHERE id = %s;
```

To bind value `value1` to the placeholder, you call the `execute()` method and pass the input value as a tuple to the second parameter like the following:

```python
cur.execute(delete_sql, (value1,))
```

After that, save the changes to the database permanently by calling the `commit()` method of the `connection` object.

```python
conn.commit()
```

Finally, close the communication with the PostgreSQL database server by calling the `close()` method of the `cursor` and `connection` objects.

```python
cur.close()
conn.close()
```

If you use context managers, you don't need to explicitly close the cursor or connection.

## Example of deleting data in PostgreSQL table in Python

We will use the `parts` table in the `suppliers` database for the demonstration purposes.

The following `delete_part()` function deletes a row in the `parts` table specified by the `part_id`.

```python
import psycopg2
from config import load_config


def delete_part(part_id):
    """ Delete part by part id """

    rows_deleted  = 0
    sql = 'DELETE FROM parts WHERE part_id = %s'
    config = load_config()

    try:
        with  psycopg2.connect(**config) as conn:
            with  conn.cursor() as cur:
                # execute the UPDATE statement
                cur.execute(sql, (part_id,))
                rows_deleted = cur.rowcount

            # commit the changes to the database
            conn.commit()
    except (Exception, psycopg2.DatabaseError) as error:
        print(error)
    finally:
        return rows_deleted

if __name__ == '__main__':
    deleted_rows = delete_part(2)
    print('The number of deleted rows: ', deleted_rows)
```

Now we run the Python program to delete the part with the part id 1.

```bash
python delete.py
```

Output:

```
The number of deleted rows:  1
```

Retrieve data from the `parts` table again to confirm the deletion:

```sql
SELECT * FROM parts;
```

Output:

```
 part_id |  part_name
---------+-------------
       1 | SIM Tray
       3 | Vibrator
       4 | Antenna
       5 | Home Button
       6 | LTE Modem
       8 | OLED
(6 rows)
```

The output indicates that part id 2 has been deleted successfully.

[Download the project source code](https://neon.com/postgresqltutorial/delete.zip)

## Summary

- Use the `execute()` method of a `cursor` object to delete a row from a table.

---

## Related docs (PostgreSQL Python)

- [Connect To PostgreSQL Database](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/connect)
- [Create Tables in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/create-tables)
- [Insert Data Into Table in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/insert)
- [Update Data in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/update)
- [Query Data in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/query)
- [Handle Transactions in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/transaction)
- [Call PostgreSQL Functions in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/postgresql-python-call-postgresql-functions)
- [Call PostgreSQL Stored Procedures in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/call-stored-procedures)
- [Work with BLOB Data in Python](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-python/blob)