Relational Operators in Java - Types of Relational Operators

Relational operators in Java, also called comparison operators, are used to compare two values or expressions. Every relational operator returns a boolean result — either true or false — which makes them essential for conditions, loops, and decision-making.

Types of Relational Operators

1. Equal To (==)

Checks whether two values are equal.

int a = 5, b = 5;
System.out.println(a == b); // true

2. Not Equal To (!=)

Checks whether two values are not equal.

System.out.println(a != b); // false

3. Greater Than (>)

Checks whether the left value is greater than the right value.

4. Less Than (<)

Checks whether the left value is less than the right value.

5. Greater Than or Equal To (>=)

Checks whether the left value is greater than or equal to the right value.

6. Less Than or Equal To (<=)

Checks whether the left value is less than or equal to the right value.

int score = 82;
if (score >= 40) {
    System.out.println("Pass");
}

Using Relational Operators with Objects

For primitive types, == compares actual values, but for objects (like String), == compares references, not content — use .equals() to compare the actual content of two objects.

• == — equal to
• != — not equal to
• > — greater than
• < — less than
• >= — greater than or equal to
• <= — less than or equal to