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# PL/pgSQL Continue Statement

**Info:** The PL/pgSQL `continue` statement works the same on any PostgreSQL deployment, so the patterns shown here apply wherever you run Postgres. If you're an enterprise looking for managed Postgres built for the AI era, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers performance, security, and native integration with the Lakehouse. If you're a developer or startup that needs to ship fast and scale without friction, [Neon](https://neon.com) is the Postgres platform for you.

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PL/pgSQL `continue` statement to control the loop.

## Introduction to PL/pgSQL continue statement

The `continue` statement prematurely skips the current iteration of the loop and starts the next one.

In practice, you can use the `continue` statement within the loops including [unconditional loops,](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-loop-statements) [while loops](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-plpgsql/pl-pgsql-while-loop), and [for loops](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-for-loop).

Here's the syntax of the `continue` statement:

```sql
continue [loop_label] [when condition]
```

In this syntax, the `loop_label` and `when condition` are optional.

The `loop_label` is the label of the loop that you want to skip the current iteration. If you omit the `loop_label`, the `continue` statement skips the current iteration of the loop. If you specify a loop label, the `continue` statement skips the current iteration of that loop.

The `condition` is a boolean expression that specifies the condition to skip the current iteration of the loop. If the `condition` is `true`, then the `continue` will skip the current loop iteration.

## PL/pgSQL Continue statement example

The following example uses the `continue` statement in an unconditional loop to print out the odd numbers from 1 to 10:

```plsql
do
$$
declare
   counter int = 0;
begin

  loop
     counter = counter + 1;

	 -- exit the loop if counter > 10
	 exit when counter > 10;

	 -- skip the current iteration if counter is an even number
	 continue when mod(counter,2) = 0;

	 -- print out the counter
	 raise notice '%', counter;
  end loop;
end;

$$;
```

Output:

```
NOTICE:  1
NOTICE:  3
NOTICE:  5
NOTICE:  7
NOTICE:  9
```

How it works.

- First, initialize the `counter` to zero.
- Second, increase the counter by one in each iteration. If the `counter` is greater than 10, then [exit](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-exit) the loop. If the `counter` is an even number, then skip the current iteration.

The `mod(counter,2)` returns the remainder of the division of the `counter` by two.

If it is zero, then the `counter` is an even number. All the statements between the `continue` statement and `end loop` will be skipped.

## Summary

- Use the `continue` statement to skip the current loop iteration prematurely and start a new one.

---

## Related docs (PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL)

- [Introduction](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/introduction-to-postgresql-stored-procedures)
- [Block Structure](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-block-structure)
- [Variables](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-variables)
- [Constants](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-constants)
- [IF-ELSE Statements](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-if-else-statements)
- [CASE Statement](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-case-statement)
- [Loop Statements](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-loop-statements)
- [FOR Loop](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-for-loop)
- [WHILE Loop](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/pl-pgsql-while-loop)
- [EXIT Statement](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-exit)
- [Cursor](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-cursor)
- [Function Parameters](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-function-parameters)
- [Function Overloading](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-function-overloading)
- [Function Returns Table](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-function-returns-a-table)
- [Returns SETOF](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-returns-setof)
- [Record Types](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-record-types)
- [Row Types](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/pl-pgsql-row-types)
- [Error Messages](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/plpgsql-errors-messages)
- [Exception Handling](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/exception)
- [CREATE FUNCTION](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/create-function)
- [CREATE PROCEDURE](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/create-procedure)
- [DROP FUNCTION](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/drop-function)
- [DROP PROCEDURE](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/drop-procedure)
- [Stored Procedure with INOUT Parameters](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/stored-procedure-with-inout-parameters)
- [Introduction to Stored Procedures](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/introduction-to-postgresql-stored-procedures)
- [SELECT INTO](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/pl-pgsql-select-into)
- [ASSERT Statement](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/pl-pgsql-assert)
- [Dollar-Quoted String Constants](https://neon.com/postgresql/plpgsql/dollar-quoted-string-constants)