Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
Pandas DataFrame.sample() function is used to select randomly rows or columns from a DataFrame. It proves particularly helpful while dealing with huge datasets where we want to test or analyze a small representative subset. We can define the number or proportion of items to sample and manage randomness through parameters such as n, frac and random_state.
Example : Sampling a Single Random RowIn this example, we load a dataset and generate a single random row using the sample() method by setting n=1.
C++
import pandas as pd
# Load dataset
d = pd.read_csv("employees.csv")
# Sample one random row
r_row = d.sample(n=1)
# Display the result
r_row
Output
one row of dataframeThe sample(n=1)
function selects one random row from the DataFrame.
DataFrame.sample(n=None, frac=None, replace=False, weights=None, random_state=None, axis=None)
Parameters:
Return Type: New object of same type as caller.
Examples of Pandas Dataframe.sample() Example 1: Sample 25% of the DataFrameTo download the CSV file used, Click Here.
In this example, we generate a random sample consisting of 25% of the entire DataFrame by using the frac
parameter.
import pandas as pd
d = pd.read_csv("employees.csv")
# Sample 25% of the data
sr = d.sample(frac=0.25)
# Verify the number of rows
print(f"Original rows: {len(d)}")
print(f"Sampled rows (25%): {len(sr)}")
# Display the result
sr
Output
25% of dataframeAs shown in the output image, the length of sample generated is 25% of data frame. Also the sample is generated randomly.
Example 2: Sampling with Replacement and a Fixed Random StateThis example demonstrates how to sample multiple rows with replacement (i.e., allowing repetition of rows) and ensures reproducibility using a fixed random seed.
C++
import pandas as pd
d = pd.read_csv("employees.csv")
# Sample 3 rows with replacement and fixed seed
sd = d.sample(n=3, replace=True, random_state=42)
sd
Output
sampling with replacementThe replace=True parameter allows the same row to be sampled more than once, making it ideal for bootstrapping. random_state=42 ensures the result is reproducible across multiple runs very useful during testing and debugging.
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