What’s the difference between SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT?

Question

Mayank kumar Verma · Answer

Difference Between SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT
These data types store integer (whole) numbers but differ in the range they can hold and the
space they use.
Type
Storage
Range (Signed)
SMALLINT
2 bytes
–32,768 to 32,767
INT
4 bytes
–2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
BIGINT
8 bytes
–9,22,33,72,036,854,775,808 to 9,22,33,72,036,854,775,807
Summary
SMALLINT → Small range, less space
INT → Standard integer
BIGINT → Very large range
Use SMALLINT for small values (e.g., age), INT for most numeric IDs, and
BIGINT for very large counts (e.g., global user IDs).

ICSM Computer · Answer

Numeric Integer
Data Types in SQL Server
Data Type
Storage Size
Range (Signed)
TINYINT
1 byte
0 to 255
SMALLINT
2 bytes
–32,768 to 32,767
INT
4 bytes
–2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
BIGINT
8 bytes
–9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807
Key Points
TINYINT: Smallest integer type, great for status codes, flags, small counters.SMALLINT: When numbers won’t exceed ±32K (like age, year offsets, small lookups).INT: Most common choice; default for identity columns and primary keys.BIGINT: For very large ranges (billions/trillions of records, big transaction IDs).
Best Practice
Always pick the smallest type that fits the data range.
Saves storage.Improves index performance.Reduces I/O costs.

forum

What’s the difference between SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT?

Anubhav Kumar

Can you answer this question?

2 Answers

Difference Between SMALLINT, INT, and BIGINT

Summary

Numeric Integer Data Types in SQL Server

Key Points

Best Practice

Liked By

Type	Storage	Range (Signed)
SMALLINT	2 bytes	–32,768 to 32,767
INT	4 bytes	–2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
BIGINT	8 bytes	–9,22,33,72,036,854,775,808 to 9,22,33,72,036,854,775,807

Data Type	Storage Size	Range (Signed)
TINYINT	1 byte	0 to 255
SMALLINT	2 bytes	–32,768 to 32,767
INT	4 bytes	–2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
BIGINT	8 bytes	–9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807