---
title: 'PostgreSQL Show Databases'
page_title: 'PostgreSQL Show Databases'
page_description: 'In this tutorial, you will learn how to show databases in a PostgreSQL server using psql and pg_database catalog.'
prev_url: 'https://www.postgresqltutorial.com/postgresql-administration/postgresql-show-databases/'
ogImage: ''
updatedOn: '2024-02-07T13:11:13+00:00'
enableTableOfContents: true
previousLink:
  title: 'PostgreSQL Restore Database'
  slug: 'postgresql-administration/postgresql-restore-database'
nextLink:
  title: 'PostgreSQL Show Tables'
  slug: 'postgresql-administration/postgresql-show-tables'
---

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to show databases in a PostgreSQL database server.

In MySQL, you can show all databases in the server using [`SHOW DATABASES`](https://www.mysqltutorial.org/mysql-administration/mysql-show-databases/) statement.

PostgreSQL does not directly support the `SHOW DATABASES` statement but offers you something similar. PostgreSQL provides you with two ways to show databases in a PostgreSQL database server.

## Listing databases in PostgreSQL using psql command

First, open the Command Prompt on Windows or Terminal on Unix\-like systems and connect to the PostgreSQL server:

```phpsql
psql -U postgres
```

This statement uses the postgres user to connect to the local PostgreSQL server. It’ll prompt you to enter a password.

Second, show all the databases in the current server using the `\l` command:

```
\l
```

It’ll show the following output:

```
                                                                      List of databases
   Name    |  Owner   | Encoding | Locale Provider |          Collate           |           Ctype            | ICU Locale | ICU Rules |   Access privileges
-----------+----------+----------+-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------+------------+-----------+-----------------------
 dvdrental | postgres | UTF8     | libc            | English_United States.1252 | English_United States.1252 |            |           |
 postgres  | postgres | UTF8     | libc            | English_United States.1252 | English_United States.1252 |            |           |
 template0 | postgres | UTF8     | libc            | English_United States.1252 | English_United States.1252 |            |           | =c/postgres          +
           |          |          |                 |                            |                            |            |           | postgres=CTc/postgres
 template1 | postgres | UTF8     | libc            | English_United States.1252 | English_United States.1252 |            |           | =c/postgres          +
           |          |          |                 |                            |                            |            |           | postgres=CTc/postgres
(4 rows)
```

To display more information on databases, you can use the `\l+` command:

```shell
\l+
```

## Listing databases in PostgreSQL using SELECT statement

The following statement retrieves the database names from the `pg_database` view:

```shell
SELECT datname FROM pg_database;
```

Output:

```
  datname
-----------
 postgres
 dvdrental
 template1
 template0
(4 rows)
```

The query returns four databases in the current PostgreSQL server.

## Summary

- Use `\l` or `\l+` in `psql` to show all databases in a PostgreSQL database server.
- Use the `SELECT` statement to query data from the `pg_database` to retrieve all the database names in a PostgreSQL database server.