C# Data Types

In this tutorial, we will learn about the various data types in C# programming language? Last updated : April 04, 2023

What are Data Types?

Data types define what and how data should be stored and used. C# is a type-safe language. Variables are declared as being of a particular type, and each variable is constrained to hold only values of its declared type In C#.

Types of C# Data Types

There are two types of data types are used,

Value Types
A variable of value types directly contains only an object with the value.
Reference types
A variable of reference type directly contains a reference to an object. Another variable may contain a reference to the same object.

We can also define our own value types by declaring enumerations or structures.

C# Predefined Data Types

The data types which are predefined in the C# compiler, these are also referred to as Basic Data Type of C#. The value range (minimum and maximum values) and size of these data types are predefined; anyone can not modify the range and size of these data types.

Most Common C# Data Types

The most common data types are:

Data Type	Size (in bytes)	Description (Range)
int	4 bytes	-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
long	8 bytes	-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807
float	4 bytes	Used to store fractional numbers up to 6-7 decimal digits
double	8 bytes	Used to store fractional numbers up to 15 decimal digits
bool	1 bit	true or false values
char	2 bytes	Used to store a single character
string	2 bytes per character	Used to store a string (sequence of characters)

Here is the list of basic/predefined C# data types with type, size, range etc.

Example of Value Types

Example of Value Types is: int A = 50; here variable A hold value 50 that can be used in program.

Example of Reference Types

We can define new reference types class, interface, and delegate declarations.

object ABC = new object();
ABC.myValue = 50;