SQL RTRIM() Function

Last Updated : 24 Aug, 2026

The RTRIM() function is used in SQL to remove extra spaces from the right end of a string. It helps clean and standardize text data for better storage and comparison.

  • Does not remove leading (left-side) spaces.
  • Supported by major databases like MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle and Azure SQL.

Query:

SELECT RTRIM('Hello World     ') AS trimmed_text;

Output:

Screenshot-2026-08-24-155934
  • Removes extra spaces from the right side of the text.
  • Returns the cleaned result as trimmed_text.

Syntax

RTRIM( input_text,[trim_characters]);

OR

RTRIM(column_name) AS trimmed_name
FROM table_name;
  • RTRIM(input_text, [Trim_Characters]) removes specified characters from the right side of the text.
  • RTRIM(column_name) removes trailing spaces from a column and displays it as trimmed_name.

Examples

Let's see some examples of RTRIM function in SQL and understand it's working with examples of different use cases.

Example 1: Using RTRIM Function to Remove Trailing Spaces from a String

The RTRIM function in SQL is used to remove trailing spaces from a string. Here are a few examples to illustrate its usage:

Query:

SELECT '[' || '          Geeks for Geeks          ' || ']' AS before_rtrim,
       '[' || RTRIM('          Geeks for Geeks          ') || ']' AS after_rtrim;

Output:

Screenshot-2026-08-24-160023
  • Displays the original string with leading and trailing spaces as "before_rtrim".
  • Removes only the right-side (trailing) spaces and shows the result as "after_rtrim".

Example 2: Using RTRIM Function on Table Column

First, we create a table GFG, with following commands in which we add names with trailing whitespaces.

SELECT
    id,
    '[' || name || ']' AS name,
    '[' || RTRIM(name) || ']' AS trimmed_name
FROM GFG;

Output:

IMAGE

Example 3: Using RTRIM Function With a Variable

This example demonstrates how the RTRIM() function is used with a variable to remove trailing spaces and return a cleaned result.

Query:

DELIMITER //

CREATE PROCEDURE rtrim_example()
BEGIN
    DECLARE input_string VARCHAR(15);

    SET input_string = 'Hello          ';

    SELECT CONCAT(RTRIM(input_string), ' World') AS result;
END //

DELIMITER ;

CALL rtrim_example();

Output:

Screenshot-2026-08-24-160351
  • Creates a stored procedure that trims trailing spaces using RTRIM().
  • Uses CONCAT() to append "World" to the trimmed string.
  • Executes the procedure with CALL rtrim_example().
  • Changes the delimiter to // so the entire procedure is treated as a single statement.
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