ArrayList isEmpty() Method in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 22 Jul, 2026

The isEmpty() method of the ArrayList class is used to check whether an ArrayList contains any elements. It returns true if the list has no elements; otherwise, it returns false.

  • Checks whether an ArrayList is empty.
  • Returns a boolean value without modifying the list.
Java 
import java.util.ArrayList;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      
        // Creating an empty ArrayList of Integers
        ArrayList<Integer> n = new ArrayList<>();

        // Checking if the ArrayList is empty
        boolean res = n.isEmpty();

        System.out.println("" + res);

        // Adding an element 
        // to the ArrayList
        n.add(21);

        // Checking again if the 
        // ArrayList is empty
        res = n.isEmpty();
        System.out.println("" + res);
    }
}

Output
true
false

Explanation: Initially, the ArrayList contains no elements, so isEmpty() returns true. After adding an element, the list is no longer empty, so it returns false.

Syntax

public boolean isEmpty()

Return Type: It returns a boolean value, true if the list is empty, otherwise false.

Example: Using isEmpty() with an ArrayList of Strings

Java 
import java.util.ArrayList;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        // Create an ArrayList of Strings
        ArrayList<String> fruits = new ArrayList<>();

        System.out.println("Is list empty? " + fruits.isEmpty());

        fruits.add("Mango");
        fruits.add("Apple");

        System.out.println("Is list empty? " + fruits.isEmpty());
    }
}

Output
Is list empty? true
Is list empty? false

Explanation: The isEmpty() method checks whether the ArrayList contains any elements. After adding two strings, the method returns false.

Example: Using isEmpty() with Custom Objects

Java 
import java.util.ArrayList;

class Student {
    String name;

    Student(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }
}

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        // Create an ArrayList of Student objects
        ArrayList<Student> students = new ArrayList<>();

        System.out.println(students.isEmpty());

        students.add(new Student("Alice"));

        System.out.println(students.isEmpty());
    }
}

Output
true
false

Explanation: The isEmpty() method works with any type of ArrayList, including custom objects. It returns true when the list has no objects and false after an object is added.

Difference Between isEmpty() and size()

isEmpty()size()
Returns true if the list is empty.Returns the number of elements in the list.
Return type is boolean.Return type is int.
Used to check whether a list has elements.Used to determine the exact number of elements.
More readable when checking if a list is empty.Useful when the element count is required.

Advantages of isEmpty() Method

  • Provides a simple way to check whether an ArrayList contains elements.
  • Improves code readability compared to checking size() == 0.
  • Does not modify the contents of the list.
  • Works with ArrayList of primitive wrapper classes, strings, and custom objects.
  • Useful for validation before performing list operations.
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