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How to Print Dictionaries in Table Format in Python

Representing dictionary data in a clear, tabular format enhances readability.

This guide explores various techniques for printing dictionaries as tables in Python. We'll cover manual formatting with f-strings, using the tabulate library, and employing pandas DataFrames for more structured output.

Printing Dictionaries in Table Format with f-strings​

f-strings provide a flexible way to control output formatting.

Dictionaries with List Values​

If each dictionary value is a list you can use that value to print each row in the table:

my_dict = {
    1: ['alice', 29],
    2: ['anna', 23],
    3: ['carl', 31],
}

headers = ['ID', 'Name', 'Age']

print(f'{headers[0]:<10}{headers[1]:<15}{headers[2]}')  # Print headers

for key, value in my_dict.items():
    print(f'{key:<10}{value[0]:<15}{value[1]}') # Access list value by index

Output:

ID        Name           Age
1         alice          29
2         anna           23
3         carl           31
  • The f-string formats each column using < for left alignment and a specified width.

Dictionaries without List Values​

If the dictionary values are not lists, you can iterate through the key-value pairs directly:

my_dict = {
    'id': 1,
    'name': 'tomnolan',
    'age': 25
}
for key, value in my_dict.items():
    print(f'{key:<10}{value}')

Output:

id        1
name      tomnolan
age       25

Dictionaries with Keys as Headers​

To use dictionary keys as headers, use my_dict.keys() method:

my_dict = {
    'id': [1, 'alice', 29],
    'name': [2, 'anna', 23],
    'age': [3, 'carl', 31],
}
headers = list(my_dict.keys())
print(
    f'{headers[0].capitalize():<10}{headers[1].capitalize():<15}{headers[2].capitalize()}')

for key, value in my_dict.items():
    print(f'{value[0]:<10}{value[1]:<15}{value[2]}')

Output:

Id        Name           Age
1         alice          29
2         anna           23
3         carl           31
  • my_dict.keys() provides access to the dictionary keys to be used as headers.
  • capitalize() formats the headers.

Printing Dictionaries as Tables with tabulate​

The tabulate library provides specialized table formatting. Install it using: pip install tabulate.

from tabulate import tabulate

my_dict = {
    'id': [1, 2, 3],
    'name': ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Carl'],
    'age': [25, 30, 28]
}
headers = ['ID', 'Name', 'Age']
data = list(zip(*my_dict.values())) # Transpose the values
print(tabulate(data, headers=headers, tablefmt='grid'))

Output:

+----+--------+-------+
| ID | Name   |   Age |
+====+========+=======+
|  1 | Alice  |    25 |
+----+--------+-------+
|  2 | Bob    |    30 |
+----+--------+-------+
|  3 | Carl   |    28 |
+----+--------+-------+
  • You transpose the dictionary’s values to form rows for the table.
  • The tablefmt argument changes the style of the output.

Printing Dictionaries as Tables with pandas​

The pandas library excels at working with tabular data. Install it using: pip install pandas

import pandas as pd

my_dict = {
    'Name': ['Alice', 'Anna', 'Carl'],
    'Age': [29, 30, 31]
}

df = pd.DataFrame(data=my_dict)
print(df)

Output:

    Name  Age
0  Alice   29
1   Anna   30
2   Carl   31
my_dict2 = {
    1: ['alice', 29],
    2: ['tomnolan', 30],
    3: ['carl', 31],
}
df2 = pd.DataFrame(
    [[key] + list(value) for key, value in my_dict2.items()],
    columns=['ID', 'Name', 'Age'],
).set_index('ID')
df2 = df2.reset_index(drop=True)
print(df2)

Output:

    Name  Age
0  alice   29
1  tomnolan   30
2  carl   31
  • The pandas.DataFrame class allows you to print the dictionary as an easy-to-read table.
  • set_index() and reset_index() methods are used to manipulate row indices.

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