Take Matrix input from user in Python

In this tutorial, we will learn how to take matrix input from the user in Python. There are two common approaches: taking individual elements one by one, or taking entire rows with space-separated values.

Method 1: Taking Individual Elements

This method asks the user to input each matrix element individually ?

Example

# initializing an empty matrix
matrix = []

# taking 2x2 matrix from the user
for i in range(2):
    # empty row
    row = []
    for j in range(2):
        # asking the user to input the number
        # converts the input to int as the default one is string
        element = int(input(f"Enter element [{i}][{j}]: "))
        # appending the element to the 'row'
        row.append(element)
    # appending the 'row' to the 'matrix'
    matrix.append(row)

# printing the matrix
print("Matrix:", matrix)

The output of the above code is ?

Enter element [0][0]: 1
Enter element [0][1]: 2
Enter element [1][0]: 3
Enter element [1][1]: 4
Matrix: [[1, 2], [3, 4]]

Method 2: Taking Space-Separated Row Input

This method takes one complete row at a time with space-separated values, then converts each value to integer using map() and int() functions ?

Example

# initializing an empty matrix
matrix = []

# taking 2x2 matrix from the user
for i in range(2):
    # taking row input from the user
    print(f"Enter row {i + 1} (space-separated): ", end="")
    row = list(map(int, input().split()))
    # appending the 'row' to the 'matrix'
    matrix.append(row)

# printing the matrix
print("Matrix:", matrix)

The output of the above code is ?

Enter row 1 (space-separated): 1 2
Enter row 2 (space-separated): 3 4
Matrix: [[1, 2], [3, 4]]

Dynamic Matrix Size

You can also create a more flexible version that accepts any matrix size ?

Example

# taking matrix dimensions from user
rows = int(input("Enter number of rows: "))
cols = int(input("Enter number of columns: "))

matrix = []
print(f"Enter {rows}x{cols} matrix (space-separated rows):")

for i in range(rows):
    row = list(map(int, input().split()))
    matrix.append(row)

print("Your matrix:")
for row in matrix:
    print(row)

The output of the above code is ?

Enter number of rows: 3
Enter number of columns: 3
Enter 3x3 matrix (space-separated rows):
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
Your matrix:
[1, 2, 3]
[4, 5, 6]
[7, 8, 9]

Comparison

Conclusion

Use Method 1 for small matrices where you want clear prompts for each element. Use Method 2 for faster input when dealing with larger matrices or when users prefer typing entire rows at once.