SAV to CSV and Excel
Open an SPSS data file, check its variables, and export a table with the labels and missing-value settings you choose.
File contents are processed in your browser.
Choose an SPSS file
UTF-8 .sav / .zsav · up to 20 MiB, 50,000 rows, 500 variables, and 500,000 cells
Export details and limits
- What the export contains
- System-missing values become empty cells. CSV cannot store an SPSS dictionary; download the codebook separately. XLSX includes Data, Codebook, and Export settings sheets. Numbers needing more than 15 significant digits are stored as text to preserve their values.
- Dates and times
- ISO dates retain the stored calendar value without a timezone conversion. Sub-millisecond precision is not retained. TIME/DTIME durations remain numeric seconds; WKDAY/MONTH remain codes.
- Not exported
- Weights, file notes, custom attributes, multiple-response sets, display layout, and SPSS analysis settings are not exported or applied. Keep the original SAV file.
- Supported files
- Supported: little-endian SPSS system files with declared UTF-8 encoding, numeric and string data, standard value labels, and numeric/short-string missing definitions. Legacy encodings, big-endian files, and long-string value-label/missing extensions are rejected.
How to convert SAV to CSV or Excel
- 1
Load a SAV file
Choose a local SPSS system file or try the synthetic survey. Uncompressed, row-compressed SAV, and ZSAV use the same workflow.
- 2
Check the meaning of each value
Keep category codes, substitute labels, or export both. Decide whether declared missing codes such as 99 remain visible or become blank.
- 3
Download data and dictionary
CSV works with Python, R, and spreadsheets. Excel includes a codebook sheet. Save the JSON codebook alongside CSV to keep the supported variable metadata.
Survey example
The sample contains four respondents. Its satisfaction codes are 1, 2, 99, and system-missing. Labels mode shows Satisfied, Neutral, No answer, and a blank. Choosing missing values as blanks also clears the 99 response.
| Stored code | Replace codes with labels | Labels, missing as blanks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satisfied | Satisfied |
| 2 | Neutral | Neutral |
| 99 | No answer | blank |
| System-missing | blank | blank |
SAV conversion questions
Can I convert SAV to Excel without SPSS?
Yes. Select a supported SAV or ZSAV file and download an XLSX workbook. The Data sheet holds the observations, the Codebook sheet holds supported variable metadata, and Export settings records your choices.
What is lost when SAV becomes CSV?
CSV has only cells. Variable labels, category labels, missing-value definitions, and measurement levels need a separate codebook. This converter exports those supported fields as JSON. Weights, notes, custom attributes, multiple-response sets, display layout, and analysis settings are not preserved. Keep the original file.
Why is my SAV file rejected?
Some .sav files are game saves rather than SPSS data. This version also rejects undeclared or non-UTF-8 encodings, big-endian files, and long-string value-label or missing-value extensions. Re-save to a supported format using SPSS, PSPP, or R haven; larger files should be converted with a desktop tool.
Are my data uploaded?
The file is read and converted locally in a browser worker. Conversion does not send its contents to a server. The site records general usage events, such as the chosen output format, without file names, cell values, or variable labels.
Does this recreate SPSS date formatting?
Calendar dates are exported as ISO text or SPSS numeric seconds. Dates have no timezone in SPSS, so ISO text has no timezone suffix. Dates are precise to milliseconds; duration formats remain numeric. The original format code is retained in the codebook, but display formatting is not reproduced.