Getting the current year can be achieved in PHP through two main methods. 1. Use the date('Y') function to output four-digit years directly, which is suitable for simple scenarios; 2. Use the DateTime class for object-oriented processing, which is suitable for complex projects. Note: To avoid time zone problems, it is recommended to explicitly set the time zone, such as Asia/Shanghai, through date_default_timezone_set() or DateTimeZone, to ensure accurate results.
Getting the current year is actually very simple in PHP, but if you are new to PHP, you may be a little confused. Here I will tell you directly: it can be easily implemented with built-in functions.

Use the date() function to get the current year
PHP provides date()
function to format local time/date. To get the current year, just pass in 'Y'
as the parameter:

echo date('Y');
This will output four-digit years, such as 2025.
This method is the most commonly used and direct. You can use it in the header of the web page and in copyright information, such as displaying "? 2025 MyWebsite".

Use the DateTime class (object-oriented)
If you prefer the object-oriented approach, you can use DateTime
class:
$now = new DateTime(); echo $now->format('Y');
This way, it's a little more code, but it's clear in structure, suitable for use in large projects or when you need to deal with more time logic.
- Advantages: More modern, easy to expand
- Disadvantages: slightly heavier in performance, but not much impact
Pay attention to time zone issues
Although the above methods all seem simple, there is a point that is easy to ignore: time zone settings .
By default, date()
and DateTime
use the server's local time. If your server is in a different time zone, the results may not be what you expected.
You can set the time zone in the following ways:
date_default_timezone_set('Asia/Shanghai'); // Set to echo date('Y');
or:
$now = new DateTime('now', new DateTimeZone('Asia/Shanghai')); echo $now->format('Y');
Common time zones include:
- America/New_York
- Europe/London
- Asia/Tokyo
- UTC
So, if you find that the years are always one or two years apart, check if the time zone is wrong.
Basically that's it. Using date('Y')
is the fastest way, and DateTime
is more suitable for complex scenarios. Don't forget to confirm the time zone setting, otherwise errors will be prone to errors.
The above is the detailed content of php how to get current year. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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