🔁 Python Assignment Operators – Complete Guide with Examples (2025)
Assignment operators in Python are used to assign values to variables. But Python doesn’t stop at the plain = operator—it also offers a variety of augmented assignment operators that simplify code and make it more Pythonic.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, understanding these operators helps you write clean and efficient code.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
🔹 Difference between =, +=, *=, and more
🔹 Real-world examples using each assignment operator
🔹 Pythonic tips and gotchas
🔹 Interview-useful explanations
🔑 What is an Assignment Operator in Python?
An assignment operator is used to assign values to variables. Python supports both basic and compound (augmented) assignment operators.
⚙️ List of Python Assignment Operators
| Operator | Example | Same As | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
= | x = 5 | – | Assigns 5 to variable x |
+= | x += 3 | x = x + 3 | Adds and assigns |
-= | x -= 2 | x = x - 2 | Subtracts and assigns |
*= | x *= 4 | x = x * 4 | Multiplies and assigns |
/= | x /= 2 | x = x / 2 | Divides and assigns (float division) |
//= | x //= 2 | x = x // 2 | Floor division and assigns |
%= | x %= 3 | x = x % 3 | Modulo and assigns |
**= | x **= 2 | x = x ** 2 | Exponentiation and assigns |
&= | x &= 2 | x = x & 2 | Bitwise AND and assigns |
| ` | =` | `x | = 3` |
^= | x ^= 1 | x = x ^ 1 | Bitwise XOR and assigns |
>>= | x >>= 1 | x = x >> 1 | Bitwise right shift and assigns |
<<= | x <<= 2 | x = x << 2 | Bitwise left shift and assigns |
💡 Examples of Python Assignment Operators
1. ✅ Basic Assignment (=)
x = 10
print(x)
📘 Assigns 10 to variable x.
2. ➕ Add and Assign (+=)
x = 5
x += 3
print(x) # Output: 8
📘 Adds 3 to x and assigns the result back to x.
3. ➖ Subtract and Assign (-=)
x = 10
x -= 4
print(x) # Output: 6
📘 Subtracts 4 from x.
4. ✖️ Multiply and Assign (*=)
x = 3
x *= 4
print(x) # Output: 12
📘 Multiplies x by 4.
5. ➗ Divide and Assign (/=)
x = 9
x /= 2
print(x) # Output: 4.5
📘 Performs floating point division.
6. 🔽 Floor Division and Assign (//=)
x = 9
x //= 2
print(x) # Output: 4
📘 Truncates the decimal part.
7. 🔁 Modulo and Assign (%=)
x = 10
x %= 3
print(x) # Output: 1
📘 Remainder after division.
8. ⚡ Exponentiate and Assign (**=)
x = 2
x **= 3
print(x) # Output: 8
📘 Raises x to the power of 3.
9. 🔣 Bitwise AND and Assign (&=)
x = 6
x &= 3
print(x) # Output: 2
📘 Performs bitwise AND: 110 & 011 = 010
10. 🔣 Bitwise OR and Assign (|=)
x = 6
x |= 1
print(x) # Output: 7
📘 Bitwise OR: 110 | 001 = 111
11. 🔣 Bitwise XOR and Assign (^=)
x = 6
x ^= 3
print(x) # Output: 5
📘 XOR: 110 ^ 011 = 101
12. 👉 Bitwise Right Shift and Assign (>>=)
x = 8
x >>= 2
print(x) # Output: 2
📘 Right shifts 2 bits: 1000 >> 2 = 0010
13. 👈 Bitwise Left Shift and Assign (<<=)
x = 3
x <<= 2
print(x) # Output: 12
📘 Left shifts 2 bits: 0011 << 2 = 1100
📘 Pythonic Tip
💡 Use augmented operators like +=, *= when possible—they’re not just shorter but often faster because Python can optimize them internally.
⚠️ Common Pitfall
x = 10
y = x += 5 # ❌ SyntaxError
✅ You can’t use augmented assignments inside expressions in Python. They must stand alone.
🔚 Summary – Key Takeaways
=assigns values+=,-=,*=etc. modify and assign in one step- Augmented assignment improves readability and performance
- Use cautiously with immutable vs mutable types
✅ FAQs – Python Assignment Operators
❓ What is the difference between = and == in Python?
= is an assignment operator, while == is a comparison operator that checks if two values are equal.
❓ Can I use += with strings?
Yes! It works for both numbers and strings.
msg = "Hello "
msg += "World"
print(msg) # Hello World
❓ Are assignment operators supported in Python functions?
Yes, but make sure to use global or nonlocal if modifying variables from outer scopes.
❓ Is x = x + y slower than x += y?
Slightly. x += y may be optimized better internally, especially for mutable objects.
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