Quick Fix: Python raises the ImportError: No module named pandas
when it cannot find the Pandas installation. The most frequent source of this error is that you haven’t installed Pandas explicitly with pip install pandas
.
Alternatively, you may have different Python versions on your computer, and Pandas is not installed for the particular version you’re using. To fix it, run pip install pandas
in your Linux/MacOS/Windows terminal.
Problem: You’ve just learned about the awesome capabilities of the Pandas library and you want to try it out, so you start with the following import
statement you found on the web:
import pandas as pd
This is supposed to import the Pandas library into your (virtual) environment. However, it only throws the following import error: no module named pandas!
>>> import pandas as pd ImportError: No module named pandas on line 1 in main.py
You can reproduce this error in the following interactive Python shell:
Why did this error occur?
The reason is that Python doesn’t provide Pandas in its standard library. You need to install Pandas first!
Before being able to import the Pandas module, you need to install it using Python’s package manager pip
. You can run the following command in your Windows shell (without the $
symbol):
$ pip install pandas
Here’s the screenshot on my Windows machine:

This simple command installs Pandas in your virtual environment on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
It assumes that you know that your pip version is updated. If it isn’t, use the following two commands (there’s no harm in doing it anyway):
$ python -m pip install --upgrade pip ... $ pip install pandas
Here’s how this plays out on my Windows command line:

The warning message disappeared!
If you need to refresh your Pandas skills, check out the following Pandas cheat sheets—I’ve compiled the best 5 in this article:
Related article: Top 5 Pandas Cheat Sheets
How to Fix “ImportError: No module named pandas” in PyCharm
If you create a new Python project in PyCharm and try to import the Pandas library, it’ll throw the following error:
Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:/Users/xcent/Desktop/Finxter/Books/book_dash/pythonProject/main.py", line 1, in <module> import pandas as pd ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pandas' Process finished with exit code 1
The reason is that each PyCharm project, per default, creates a virtual environment in which you can install custom Python modules. But the virtual environment is initially empty—even if you’ve already installed Pandas on your computer!
Here’s a screenshot:

The fix is simple: Use the PyCharm installation tooltips to install Pandas in your virtual environment—two clicks and you’re good to go!
First, right-click on the pandas
text in your editor:

Second, click “Show Context Actions
” in your context menu. In the new menu that arises, click “Install Pandas” and wait for PyCharm to finish the installation.
The code will run after your installation completes successfully.
As an alternative, you can also open the “Terminal” tool at the bottom and type:
pip install pandas
If this doesn’t work, you may want to change the Python interpreter to another version using the following tutorial:
You can also manually install a new library such as Pandas in PyCharm using the following procedure:
- Open
File > Settings > Project
from the PyCharm menu. - Select your current project.
- Click the
Python Interpreter
tab within your project tab. - Click the small
+
symbol to add a new library to the project. - Now type in the library to be installed, in your example Pandas, and click
Install Package
. - Wait for the installation to terminate and close all popup windows.

Here’s a complete introduction to PyCharm:
Related Article: PyCharm—A Helpful Illustrated Guide
Other Ways to Install Pandas
I have found a great online tutorial on how this error can be resolved in some ways that are not addressed here (e.g., when using Anaconda). You can watch the tutorial video here:
And a great screenshot guiding you through a flowchart is available here:
Finally, the tutorial lists the following three steps to overcome the "No Module Named Pandas"
issue:
Origin | Solution |
---|---|
Pandas library not installed | pip install pandas |
Python cannot find pandas installation path | Install pandas in your virtual environment, global environment, or add it to your path (environment variable). |
Different Python and pandas versions installed | Upgrade your Python installation (recommended). Or, downgrade your pandas installation (not recommended) with pip install pandas=x.xx.x |
[Summary] ImportError: No module named pandas
Pandas is not part of the Python standard library so it doesn’t ship with the default Python installation.
Thus, you need to install it using the pip installer.
To install pip, follow my detailed guide:
- Tutorial: How to Install PIP on Windows?
Pandas is distributed through pip which uses so-called wheel files.
💡 Info: A .whl
file (read: wheel file) is a zip archive that contains all the files necessary to run a Python application. It’s a built-package format for Python, i.e., a zip archive with .whl
suffix such as in yourPackage.whl
. The purpose of a wheel is to contain all files for a PEP-compliant installation that approximately matches the on-disk format. It allows you to migrate a Python application from one system to another in a simple and robust way.
So, in some cases, you need to install wheel first before attempting to install pandas. This is explored next!
Install Pandas on Windows
Do you want to install Pandas on Windows?
Install wheel
first and pandas second using pip
for Python 2 or pip3
for Python 3 depending on the Python version installed on your system.
Python 2
pip install wheel pip install pandas
Python 3
pip3 install wheel pip3 install pandas
If you haven’t added pip to your environment variable yet, Windows cannot find pip and an error message will be displayed. In this case, run the following commands in your terminal instead to install pandas:
py -m pip install wheel py -m pip install pandas
Install Pandas on macOS and Linux
The recommended way to install the pandas module on macOS (OSX) and Linux is to use the commands pip
(for Python 2) or pip3
(for Python 3) assuming you’ve installed pip already.
Do you run Python 2?
Copy&paste the following two commands in your terminal/shell:
sudo pip install wheel sudo pip install pandas
Do you run Python 3?
Copy&paste the following two commands in your terminal/shell:
sudo pip3 install wheel sudo pip3 install pandas
Do you have easy_install on your system?
Copy&paste the following two commands into your terminal/shell:
sudo easy_install -U wheel sudo easy_install -U pandas
Do you run CentOs (yum)?
Copy&paste the following two commands into your terminal/shell:
yum install python-wheel yum install python-pandas
Do you run Ubuntu (Debian)?
Copy&paste the following two commands into your terminal/shell:
sudo apt-get install python-wheel sudo apt-get install python-pandas
More Finxter Tutorials
Learning is a continuous process and you’d be wise to never stop learning and improving throughout your life. 👑
What to learn? Your subconsciousness often knows better than your conscious mind what skills you need to reach the next level of success.
I recommend you read at least one tutorial per day (only 5 minutes per tutorial is enough) to make sure you never stop learning!
💡 If you want to make sure you don’t forget your habit, feel free to join our free email academy for weekly fresh tutorials and learning reminders in your INBOX.
Also, skim the following list of tutorials and open 3 interesting ones in a new browser tab to start your new — or continue with your existing — learning habit today! 🚀
Python Basics:
- Python One Line For Loop
- Import Modules From Another Folder
- Determine Type of Python Object
- Convert String List to Int List
- Convert Int List to String List
- Convert String List to Float List
- Convert List to NumPy Array
- Append Data to JSON File
- Filter List Python
- Nested List
Python Dependency Management:
- Install PIP
- How to Check Your Python Version
- Check Pandas Version in Script
- Check Python Version Jupyter
- Check Version of Package PIP
Python Debugging:
Fun Stuff:
- 5 Cheat Sheets Every Python Coder Needs to Own
- 10 Best Python Puzzles to Discover Your True Skill Level
- How to $1000 on the Side as a Python Freelancer
Thanks for learning with Finxter!
Where to Go From Here?
Enough theory. Let’s get some practice!
Coders get paid six figures and more because they can solve problems more effectively using machine intelligence and automation.
To become more successful in coding, solve more real problems for real people. That’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?
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Programmer Humor
❓ Question: How did the programmer die in the shower? ☠️
❗ Answer: They read the shampoo bottle instructions:
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.