How To Add Multiple Values To the Same Key In Dictionary In Python – With Examples

Python dictionary allows you to store values in key-value pairs.

You can add multiple values to the same key in the dictionary in Python using yourdict.setdefault(‘numbers’, [ ]).append(4) statement.

Basic Example

yourdict = {     
'numbers' : [1 ,2,3],    
 'small_letters' : ['a', 'b'] 
} 

yourdict.setdefault('numbers’, [4]).append(4)

print(yourdict)

The value type of the dictionary key must be a container such as a list, set or tuple to add multiple values to the same key.

Creating a Dictionary With Multiple Values For a Key

This section teaches you how to create a dictionary with a list of values for a single key.

The value type of each key is a list that can contain more than one value in a single object.

Code

yourdict = {
    'numbers' : [1 ,2,3],
    'small_letters' : ['a', 'b']
}

print(yourdict)

Output

    {'numbers': [1, 2, 3], 'small_letters': ['a', 'b']}

Using SetDefault

This section teaches you how to add a value to an existing key in the dictionary using the setdefault() method.

The setdefault() method works in the following way:

• If the key doesn’t exist, it adds the key to the dictionary
• If the key exists already, it returns the value of the key

To add multiple keys using the setdefault() method

• Get the existing list object of the key.
• Append a value to the existing list using the list.append() method.
• If the key is not existing in the dictionary, then add the key and value as a list to the dictionary

Code

yourdict = {
    'numbers' : [1 ,2,3],
    'small_letters' : ['a', 'b']
}

yourdict.setdefault('numbers’, [4]).append(4)

print(yourdict)

Output

The value four is added to the key – numbers.

    {'numbers': [1, 2, 3, 4], 'small_letters': ['a', 'b']}

Another Example

The following code demonstrates what happens while using the setdefault() method when the key already exists in the dictionary.

It returns the value of the existing key, and nothing else changes in the dictionary.

yourdict = {
    'numbers' : [1 ,2,3],
    'letters' : ['a', 'b'] 
}

yourdict.setdefault('special_chars', [".",","])

print(yourdict)

yourdict.setdefault('special_chars', [".",",", "#"])

Output

The hash symbol # is not added to the special_chars key because the key was already existing in the dictionary.

    {'numbers': [1, 2, 3], 'letters': ['a', 'b'], 'special_chars': ['.', ',']}

    ['.', ',']

Using DefaultDict

This section explains how to use the DefaultDict to add multiple values to the same key in the dictionary.

The DefaultDict class allows you to specify a default value for a key when the value is not specified.

For example:- If you add a key to the dictionary and don’t add any value to the key, then the default callable value specified during the dictionary creation will be used.

To add multiple values to the same key in the dictionary,

• initialize the defaultdict with a list as defaultdict(list).
• Append values to the existing list of a key using the append() method. You can use the list.extend() method to add multiple items at once.

Code

from collections import defaultdict

yourdict = defaultdict(list)

yourdict["numbers"].append(1)

yourdict["numbers"].append(2)

yourdict["letters"].append('a')

yourdict["letters"].append('b')

yourdict["chars"]

yourdict

Output

• Append method appended values to the existing key.
• When the non-existing key is passed, it is added with an empty list as a value.

 defaultdict(list, {'numbers': [1, 2], 'letters': ['a', 'b'], 'chars': []})

Using Dict and If Statement

This section teaches you how to use the dict and if statements to add multiple values.

To use this method, the existing dictionary key must have the value of the type list object.

• Check if the key is already existing in the dictionary. If yes, then append the value to the list
• If the key doesn’t exist, assign the new list of values to the new key.

Code

yourdict = dict()

if "numbers" in yourdict:
    yourdict["numbers"].append(2)
else:
    yourdict["numbers"] = [2]

print(yourdict)

Output

    {'numbers': [2]}

Add List of Values To Dictionary Keys

This section teaches you how to add a list of values to an existing key.

To use this method, the key of the dictionary must have a value of type list

• Use the setdefault() method
• Use the the list.extend() method to add more values to an existing list at once.

To know the differences between list.append() and list.extend() method, read:- Python List Append Vs Extend – Differences Explained

Code

yourdict = {
    'numbers' : [1 ,2,3],
    'small_letters' : ['a', 'b']
}

yourdict.setdefault('small_letters').extend(['c','d','e'])

print(yourdict)

Output

    {'numbers': [1, 2, 3], 'small_letters': ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']}

Further Reading

• How To Find the First Key In The Dictionary In Python
• How To Return A Default Value If A Key is Not Available In the dictionary In Python