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ST_IsEmpty

Tests whether a geometry is empty (contains no points).

Syntax​

ST_IsEmpty(geometry)

Parameters​

ParameterTypeDescription
geometryGeometryInput geometry to test

Returns​

TypeDescription
BooleanTrue if geometry is empty, false otherwise

Examples​

Empty Geometry​

SELECT ST_IsEmpty(ST_GeomFromText('POINT EMPTY'));
-- Returns: true

Non-Empty Point​

SELECT ST_IsEmpty(ST_Point(0, 0));
-- Returns: false

Empty GeometryCollection​

SELECT ST_IsEmpty(ST_GeomFromText('GEOMETRYCOLLECTION EMPTY'));
-- Returns: true

Filter Non-Empty Geometries​

SELECT * FROM features
WHERE NOT ST_IsEmpty(geom);

Notes​

  • Empty geometries are valid but contain no coordinates
  • Result of some operations may be empty (e.g., intersection of non-overlapping polygons)
  • Empty geometries have zero area and length

See Also​