Relational Operators in Java

Beginner ⏱ 7 min read Updated: Jun 2026

Relational operators in Java are used to compare two values or expressions. They check the relationship between values and return a boolean result: either true or false.

These operators are commonly used in decision-making statements such as if, if-else, loops, and conditional expressions in Java programs.

What are Relational Operators in Java?

Relational operators are special symbols that compare two operands. They determine whether one value is equal to, greater than, less than, or different from another value.

For example, the expression 10 > 5 checks whether 10 is greater than 5 and returns true.

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Key Point: Relational operators always return a boolean value (true or false).

Syntax of Relational Operators in Java

The basic syntax of using a relational operator in Java is:

Syntax

value1 operator  value2;

Here, the operator compares the two values and produces a boolean result.

Example of Relational Operator in Java

Example

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int number1 =20;
        int number2 = 10;
        System.out.println(number1 > number2);
    }
}

Output

true

Types of Relational Operators in Java

Java provides six relational operators that are used for comparing values.

Equal to Operator (==)
Not Equal to Operator (!=)
Greater than Operator (>)
Less than Operator (<)
Greater than or Equal to Operator (>=)
Less than or Equal to Operator (<=)

Java Relational Operators Table

Operator	Name	Description
==	Equal To	Checks whether two values are equal
!=	Not Equal To	Checks whether two values are different
>	Greater Than	Checks if one value is greater than another
<	Less Than	Checks if one value is smaller than another
>=	Greater Than or Equal	Checks if value is greater or equal
<=	Less Than or Equal	Checks if value is smaller or equal

Equal To Operator (==) in Java

The equal to operator (==) is used to check whether two values are equal or not. If both values are the same, it returns true; otherwise, it returns false.

Example

int number1 =  10;
int number2 =  10;
System.out.println(number1 == number2);

Output

true

Not Equal To Operator (!=) in Java

The not equal to operator (!=) checks whether two values are different. It returns true when the values are not equal.

Example

int age1 =  18;
int age2 =  20;
System.out.println(age1 != age2);

Output

true

Greater Than Operator (>) in Java

The greater than operator (>) checks whether the value on the left side is greater than the value on the right side.

Example

int marks =  85;
int passingMarks = 40;
System.out.println(marks > passingMarks);

Output

true

Less Than Operator (<) in Java

The less than operator (<) checks whether the left value is smaller than the right value.

Example

int temperature =  25;
int limit =  30;
System.out.println(temperature < limit);

Output

true

Greater Than or Equal To Operator (>=) in Java

The greater than or equal to operator (>=) checks whether a value is greater than or equal to another value.

Example

int score =  50;
int required =  50;
System.out.println(score >= required);

Output

true

Less Than or Equal To Operator (<=) in Java

The less than or equal to operator (<=) checks whether a value is smaller than or equal to another value.

Example

int age =  18;
int limit =  l18;
System.out.println(age <= limit);

Output

true

Using Relational Operators with if Statement in Java

Relational operators are commonly used with conditional statements to execute code based on comparisons.

Example

int age =  20;
if (age >= 18) {
    System.out.println("Eligible");
}

Output

Eligible

Equal To Operator (==) in Java

The equal to operator (==) is used to check whether two values are equal or not. If both values are the same, it returns true; otherwise, it returns false.

Example

int 10;
int number2 = 10;
System.out.println(number1 == number2);

Output

true

Not Equal To Operator (!=) in Java

The not equal to operator (!=) checks whether two values are different. It returns true when the values are not equal.

Example

int age1 =  18;
int age2 =  20;
System.out.println(age1 != age2);

Output

true

Greater Than Operator (>) in Java

The greater than operator (>) checks whether the value on the left side is greater than the value on the right side.

Example

int marks =  85;
int passingMarks =40;
System.out.println(marks > passingMarks);

Output

true

Less Than Operator (<) in Java

The less than operator (<) checks whether the left value is smaller than the right value.

Example

int temperature =  25;
int  limit = 30;
System.out.println(temperature < limit);

Output

true

Greater Than or Equal To Operator (>=) in Java

The greater than or equal to operator (>=) checks whether a value is greater than or equal to another value.

Example

int score =  50;
int required = 50;
System.out.println(score >= required);

Output

true

Less Than or Equal To Operator (<=) in Java

The less than or equal to operator (<=) checks whether a value is smaller than or equal to another value.

Example

int age =  18;
int limit =  18;;
System.out.println(age <= limit);

Output

true

Using Relational Operators with if Statement in Java

Relational operators are commonly used with conditional statements to execute code based on comparisons.

Example

int age =  20;
if (age >=   18) {
    System.out.println("Eligible");
}

Output

Eligible

Advantages of Relational Operators in Java


                    Decision Making

Relational operators help programs make decisions using conditions and comparisons.


                    Easy Comparison

They provide a simple way to compare values and expressions in Java.


                    Boolean Result

They return true or false values that can be used with conditional statements.


                    Used in Loops

Relational operators are widely used in loops like for, while, and do-while loops.

Common Mistakes While Using Relational Operators

Using assignment operator (=) instead of equality operator (==).
Comparing incompatible data types.
Forgetting that relational operators return boolean values.
Using incorrect conditions in decision-making statements.

Difference Between Relational Operators and Assignment Operators

Relational Operators	Assignment Operators
Used to compare two values.	Used to assign values to variables.
Returns true or false.	Stores or updates variable values.
Example: x > y	Example: x = 10

Example of Multiple Relational Operators in Java

Example

int a = 15;
int b =  10;
System.out.println(a > b);
System.out.println(a == b);
System.out.println(a != b);

Output

true
false
true

Summary

Relational operators in Java are used to compare two values and check their relationship. They return boolean results such as true or false.

Java provides six relational operators: equal to (==), not equal to (!=), greater than (>), less than (<), greater than or equal to (>=), and less than or equal to (<=).

Understanding relational operators is essential because they are used in conditions, loops, and decision-making logic in Java applications.

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