'\" t
.\"     Title: DROP DATABASE
.\"    Author: The PostgreSQL Global Development Group
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets vsnapshot <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 2025
.\"    Manual: PostgreSQL 14.18 Documentation
.\"    Source: PostgreSQL 14.18
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "DROP DATABASE" "7" "2025" "PostgreSQL 14.18" "PostgreSQL 14.18 Documentation"
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.SH "NAME"
DROP_DATABASE \- remove a database
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.sp
.nf
DROP DATABASE [ IF EXISTS ] \fIname\fR [ [ WITH ] ( \fIoption\fR [, \&.\&.\&.] ) ]

where \fIoption\fR can be:

    FORCE
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
\fBDROP DATABASE\fR
drops a database\&. It removes the catalog entries for the database and deletes the directory containing the data\&. It can only be executed by the database owner\&. It cannot be executed while you are connected to the target database\&. (Connect to
postgres
or any other database to issue this command\&.) Also, if anyone else is connected to the target database, this command will fail unless you use the
FORCE
option described below\&.
.PP
\fBDROP DATABASE\fR
cannot be undone\&. Use it with care!
.SH "PARAMETERS"
.PP
IF EXISTS
.RS 4
Do not throw an error if the database does not exist\&. A notice is issued in this case\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIname\fR
.RS 4
The name of the database to remove\&.
.RE
.PP
FORCE
.RS 4
Attempt to terminate all existing connections to the target database\&. It doesn\*(Aqt terminate if prepared transactions, active logical replication slots or subscriptions are present in the target database\&.
.sp
This terminates background worker connections and connections that the current user has permission to terminate with
\fBpg_terminate_backend\fR, described in
Section\ \&9.27.2\&. If connections would remain, this command will fail\&.
.RE
.SH "NOTES"
.PP
\fBDROP DATABASE\fR
cannot be executed inside a transaction block\&.
.PP
This command cannot be executed while connected to the target database\&. Thus, it might be more convenient to use the program
\fBdropdb\fR(1)
instead, which is a wrapper around this command\&.
.SH "COMPATIBILITY"
.PP
There is no
\fBDROP DATABASE\fR
statement in the SQL standard\&.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
CREATE DATABASE (\fBCREATE_DATABASE\fR(7))