Python Dictionary `values()` Method

The Python dict.values() method returns all values from a dictionary.

It is useful when you want the values only and do not need the keys. A common beginner use case is getting all values from a dictionary so you can print them, loop through them, or convert them to a list.

Quick example

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20, "city": "Lima"}
values = student.values()

print(values)
print(list(values))

Output:

dict_values(['Ana', 20, 'Lima'])
['Ana', 20, 'Lima']

values() returns a dictionary view object. Convert it to a list if you want a regular list.

What `values()` does

It is used on a dictionary
It returns all dictionary values
It keeps the same order as the dictionary
It returns a view object, not a new list

If you already know how to create dictionaries, see creating a dictionary in Python.

Basic syntax

my_dict.values()

Key points:

values() takes no arguments
It works only on dictionary objects
You must include the parentheses: values()

This is a dictionary method, similar to keys() for dictionary keys and items() for key-value pairs.

What `values()` returns

values() returns a dict_values object.

This object is a view of the dictionary values. That means it shows the current values in the dictionary, and it updates if the dictionary changes.

Example:

person = {"name": "Mia", "age": 25}

values_view = person.values()
print(values_view)

person["city"] = "Quito"
print(values_view)

Output:

dict_values(['Mia', 25])
dict_values(['Mia', 25, 'Quito'])

If you need a regular list, use list(my_dict.values()).

person = {"name": "Mia", "age": 25}
values_list = list(person.values())

print(values_list)

Output:

['Mia', 25]

Simple example

Here is a basic example step by step:

car = {"brand": "Toyota", "year": 2022, "color": "blue"}

result = car.values()

print(result)
print(list(result))

Output:

dict_values(['Toyota', 2022, 'blue'])
['Toyota', 2022, 'blue']

What happens here:

car is a dictionary
car.values() gets all values
print(result) shows the dict_values object
print(list(result)) shows the same values as a list

Looping through dictionary values

You can loop through dictionary values with a for loop.

scores = {"math": 90, "english": 85, "science": 88}

for value in scores.values():
    print(value)

Output:

90
85
88

This is useful when:

You only need the values
You do not care about the keys
You want simpler code

If you want to loop through keys and values together, see Python dictionary items() method or how to loop through a dictionary in Python.

Converting values to a list

Use list(my_dict.values()) when you need a list.

fruit_prices = {"apple": 2, "banana": 1, "orange": 3}

price_list = list(fruit_prices.values())

print(price_list)
print(price_list[0])

Output:

[2, 1, 3]
2

This is helpful for:

Displaying the values as a normal list
Accessing values by index
Passing the values to code that expects a list

This matters because dict_values is not the same as a list.

`values()` vs `keys()` vs `items()`

These three dictionary methods are related, but they return different things:

values() returns only the values
keys() returns only the keys
items() returns key-value pairs

Examples:

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20}

print(student.keys())
print(student.values())
print(student.items())

Output:

dict_keys(['name', 'age'])
dict_values(['Ana', 20])
dict_items([('name', 20)])

Use:

keys() when you need just the keys
values() when you need just the values
items() when you need both

Common beginner mistakes

Here are some common problems with values().

Calling `values()` on the wrong type

values() works on dictionaries only.

Wrong:

my_list = [1, 2, 3]
print(my_list.values())

This causes an error because lists do not have a values() method.

To debug this, check the type:

print(type(my_list))

If you get an AttributeError, see how to fix 'object has no attribute' errors.

Assuming `values()` returns a list

Beginners often expect this:

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20}
values = student.values()

print(type(values))

Output:

<class 'dict_values'>

It returns dict_values, not a list.

If you need a list:

values = list(student.values())

Trying to use an index directly on `dict_values`

This may not work the way you expect:

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20}
values = student.values()

# print(values[0])  # Avoid this

Convert to a list first:

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20}
values = list(student.values())

print(values[0])

Using `values` instead of `values()`

This is also a common mistake:

student = {"name": "Ana", "age": 20}

print(student.values)

student.values refers to the method itself, not the result.

Use:

print(student.values())

Using parentheses incorrectly on the dictionary variable

Make sure the method is called on the dictionary:

data = {"a": 1, "b": 2}
print(data.values())

Not like this:

# Wrong examples:
# data().values()
# values(data)

Useful debugging steps:

print(type(my_dict))
print(my_dict)
print(my_dict.values())
print(list(my_dict.values()))

FAQ

What does `dict.values()` return in Python?

It returns a dict_values view object containing the dictionary's values.

Does `values()` return a list?

No. It returns a view object. Use list(...) if you need a list.

Can I loop through `dict.values()`?

Yes. It is iterable, so you can use it in a for loop.

Does `dict.values()` change if the dictionary changes?

Yes. The returned view reflects updates to the dictionary.

How is `values()` different from `items()`?

values() returns only values. items() returns key-value pairs.

Python Dictionary values() Method

Python Dictionary `values()` Method