This page is a quick reference checkpoint for NTH VALUE in IBM DB2: behavior, syntax rules, edge cases, and a minimal example; plus the official vendor documentation.
NTH_VALUE returns the value from the nth row in the window frame.
Returns the value of expr from the nth row of the window frame; if n exceeds the number of rows in the frame, result is NULL; behavior depends on the window frame unless explicitly defined.
If this behavior feels unintuitive, the tutorial below explains the underlying pattern step-by-step.
Requires ORDER BY in the OLAP specification; syntax uses NTH_VALUE(expr, n); n must be a positive integer; default frame may affect which row is considered the nth row.
SELECT NTH_VALUE(salary, 3) OVER (PARTITION BY dept ORDER BY salary) AS third_salary FROM employees
If you came here to confirm syntax, you’re done. If you came here to get better at window functions, choose your next step.
NTH VALUE is part of a bigger window-function pattern. If you want the “why”, start here: First Last Nth Value
For the authoritative spec, use the vendor docs. This page is the fast “sanity check”.
View IBM DB2 Documentation →Looking for more functions across all SQL dialects? Visit the full SQL Dialects & Window Functions Documentation.