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How to Check if a File is Empty in Python

Determining if a file is empty is a common task in file handling.

This guide explores several methods to check if a file is empty in Python, covering techniques using os.stat(), os.path.getsize(), and pathlib.Path(), as well as error handling for non-existent files.

Checking File Emptiness with os.stat()​

The os.stat() method provides file status information including size. To check if a file is empty, check if the st_size attribute of the returned object is equal to 0:

import os

if os.stat('example.txt').st_size == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file is not empty')
  • The os.stat() function returns a stat_result object which has a st_size attribute representing the size in bytes.

You can use either a relative or absolute path to the file, as in the following example:

import os
if os.stat(
    '/home/tomnolan/Desktop/python_example/example.txt'
).st_size == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file is not empty')

1. Checking if a File is Not Empty​

Use the not equals (!=) operator to check if a file is not empty:

import os

if os.stat('example.txt').st_size != 0:
    print('The file is NOT empty')

2. Handling FileNotFoundError​

The os.stat() method raises a FileNotFoundError if the file does not exist. Use a try/except block to handle this:

import os

try:
    if os.stat('not-found.txt').st_size == 0:
        print('The file is empty')
except FileNotFoundError:
    print('The specified file does NOT exist')

Checking File Emptiness with os.path.getsize()​

The os.path.getsize() method directly returns a file's size in bytes. If the size is 0, then the file is empty:

import os
# Using relative path
if os.path.getsize('example.txt') == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file is NOT empty')

# Using absolute path
if os.path.getsize(
        '/home/tomnolan/Desktop/python_example/example.txt'
) == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file is NOT empty')

1. Handling OSError​

os.path.getsize() will raise an OSError exception if the path is invalid or the file does not exist or is not accessible. Handle this with a try/except block:

import os
try:
    if os.path.getsize('not-found.txt') == 0:
        print('The file is empty')
except OSError:
    print('The specified file does NOT exist')

2. Checking File Existence with os.path.exists()​

Before checking the size, use os.path.exists() to verify that the file exists:

import os

my_path = '/home/tomnolan/Desktop/python_example/example.txt'

if os.path.exists(my_path) and os.path.getsize(my_path) == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file does NOT exist or is not empty')
  • The os.path.exists() method returns True if the file exists and False otherwise.

Checking File Emptiness with pathlib.Path()​

The pathlib module provides a more object-oriented approach to file system interactions. You can check if a file is empty using Path.stat():

import pathlib

my_path = pathlib.Path(
    '/home/tomnolan/Desktop/python_examples/example.txt'
)

if my_path.stat().st_size == 0:
    print('The file is empty')
else:
    print('The file is NOT empty')
  • The pathlib.Path() function instantiates a Path object that represents a path.
  • The my_path.stat().st_size will get the file’s size, like using os.stat().

Handling FileNotFoundError​

The Path.stat() method raises a FileNotFoundError if the path does not exist. Use a try/except block to handle this exception:

import pathlib

my_path = pathlib.Path(
    '/home/tomnolan/Desktop/python_example/example.txt'
)

try:
    if my_path.stat().st_size == 0:
        print('The file is empty')
    else:
        print('The file is NOT empty')
except FileNotFoundError:
    print('The file does NOT exist')

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