SQLSTATE 22016 ERROR Class 22: Data Exception

invalid_argument_for_nth_value_function Invalid Argument For Nth Value Function — SQLSTATE 22016

SQLSTATE 22016 (invalid_argument_for_nth_value_function): A value is invalid for its data type or the operation applied to it.

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Last reviewed May 2025 Grounded in source

Symptoms

The server reports SQLSTATE 22016 (invalid_argument_for_nth_value_function), a condition in the Data Exception class.

  • The error is written to the server log and returned to the client carrying SQLSTATE 22016.
  • Any driver (libpq, JDBC, psycopg, npgsql, pgx) surfaces this code in its error object so you can branch on it programmatically.
  • PL/pgSQL can trap it by name: EXCEPTION WHEN invalid_argument_for_nth_value_function THEN.

Environment

Severity: ERROR  |  PostgreSQL versions: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Reproduce with the exact statement and read the full message in the server log (raise log_min_messages / set log_min_error_statement for more context).

Root Cause

22016 belongs to Class 22 — Data Exception. In this class, a value is invalid for its data type or the operation applied to it.

The first two characters (22) identify the error class, so application code can match the whole class via 22000 when the specific code is not needed.

Diagnostic Queries

Recovery

Validate and clean input at the boundary: check ranges, lengths, and formats; cast safely (NULLIF(txt, ''), explicit to_date/to_timestamp); reject bad values before they reach SQL.

Reference: PostgreSQL error codes — Class 22 (Data Exception).

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