Generate random Boolean (True or False) values in Python

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Borislav Hadzhiev

Last updated: Apr 10, 2024
4 min

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# Table of Contents

  1. Generate a random Boolean using random.getrandbits()
  2. Generate a random Boolean using random.choice()
  3. Generate a random Boolean using random.random()
  4. Generate a random Boolean using random.randint()
  5. Generate a random Boolean based on probability
  6. Generate a list of random boolean values using random.choices()
  7. Generate a random boolean value using numpy.random.rand()
  8. Generate an array of random booleans using numpy.random.randint()

# Generate a random Boolean using random.getrandbits()

To generate a random boolean value:

  1. Use the random.getrandbits() method to get an integer with 1 random bit.
  2. Use the bool() class to convert the integer to a boolean value.
main.py
import random


result = bool(random.getrandbits(1))
print(result)  # 👉️ False

result = bool(random.getrandbits(1))
print(result)  # 👉️ True

generate random boolean value

The code for this article is available on GitHub

The random.getrandbits() method returns a non-negative Python integer with k random bits.

We set the k argument to 1, so the only possible values the method returns are 0 and 1.

main.py
import random

print(random.getrandbits(1))  # 👉️ 1
print(random.getrandbits(1))  # 👉️ 0
print(random.getrandbits(1))  # 👉️ 0

The last step is to use the bool() class to convert the integer to a boolean.

main.py
import random

result = bool(random.getrandbits(1))
print(result)  # 👉️ False

result = bool(random.getrandbits(1))
print(result)  # 👉️ True

Converting 0 to a boolean returns False and converting 1 to a boolean returns True.

main.py
print(bool(0))  # 👉️ False
print(bool(1))  # 👉️ True

# Generate a random Boolean using random.choice()

You can also use the random.choice() method to generate a random boolean, but the method is a bit less performant.

main.py
import random


random_bool = random.choice([True, False])
print(random_bool)  # 👉️ False

generate random boolean using random choice

The code for this article is available on GitHub

The random.choice() method takes a sequence and returns a random element from the non-empty sequence.

# Generate a random Boolean using random.random()

You can also use the random.random() method to generate a random boolean.

main.py
import random

random_bool = random.random() > 0.5

print(random_bool)
The code for this article is available on GitHub

The random.random() number returns the next random floating-point number in the range [0.0,1.0).

The condition returns the result of checking if the generated number is greater than 0.5.

# Generate a random Boolean using random.randint()

You can also use the random.randint() method to generate random boolean values.

main.py
import random

random_bool = bool(random.randint(0, 1))

print(random_bool) # 👉️ True

The random.randint() function takes 2 numbers - a and b as parameters and returns a random integer in the range.

Note that the range is inclusive - meaning both a and b can be returned.

# Generate a random Boolean based on probability

If you need to generate a random boolean value based on probability, use the random.random() method.

  1. Use the random.random() method to get a random float from 0 to 1.
  2. Check if the generated value is less than the probability.
  3. For example, random.random() < 0.75 returns True 75% of the time.
main.py
import random


def bool_based_on_probability(probability=0.5):
    return random.random() < probability


# 👇️ 75% probability to return True
result = bool_based_on_probability(0.75)
print(result)  # 👉️ True

# 👇️ 25% probability to return True
result = bool_based_on_probability(0.25)
print(result)  # 👉️ False
The code for this article is available on GitHub

The random.random() number returns the next random floating-point number in the range [0.0,1.0).

The method could return 0, but it could never return 1.

Comparing the two floating-point numbers returns a boolean value.

For example, if you set the probability argument to 0.75, the function has a 75% chance to return True.

If you set the argument to 1, the function will always return True.

# Generate a list of random boolean values using random.choices()

Use the random.choices() method to generate a list of multiple random boolean values.

The random.choices() method returns a k sized list of elements chosen from the iterable.

main.py
import random


random_boolean_list = random.choices([True, False], k=3)
print(random_boolean_list)  # 👉️ [True, True, False]


# 👇️ with probability (specify weights)
random_boolean_list = random.choices(
    [True, False],
    k=3,
    weights=[75, 25]
)
print(random_boolean_list)  # 👉️ [True, True, False]
The code for this article is available on GitHub

The random.choices() method returns a k sized list of elements chosen from the provided iterable with replacement.

main.py
import random

a_list = ['bobby', 'hadz', '.', 'com']

result = random.choices(a_list, k=3)
print(result)  # 👉️ ['hadz', 'hadz', 'bobby']
With replacement basically means that the same element can be returned multiple times.

# Generate a list of random boolean values based on probability

If you need to return the boolean values based on probability, set the weights argument in the call to random.choices().

main.py
import random


random_boolean_list = random.choices(
    [True, False],
    k=3,
    weights=[75, 25]
)
print(random_boolean_list)  # 👉️ [True, True, False]
The code for this article is available on GitHub

The call to the method has a 75% chance to return a True value and a 25% chance to return False.

# Generate a random boolean value using numpy.random.rand()

You can also use the numpy.random.rand() method to generate a random boolean value.

main.py
import numpy as np

bool_array = np.random.rand() > 0.5

print(bool_array)  # 👉️ False
The code for this article is available on GitHub

Make sure you have the NumPy module installed to be able to run the code sample.

shell
pip install numpy

pip3 install numpy

The numpy.random.rand() method returns a single Python float from 0 to 1.

main.py
import numpy as np

print(np.random.rand()) # 👉️ 0.400755652315017

We compare the float to 0.5 to get a boolean result.

# Generate an array of random booleans using numpy.random.randint()

You can also use the random.randint() method from the NumPy module to generate an array of random booleans.

main.py
import numpy as np

bool_array = np.random.randint(2, size=8) > 0.5

# [ True  True False False  True False  True False]
print(bool_array)

Make sure you have the NumPy module installed to be able to run the code sample.

shell
pip install numpy

pip3 install numpy

The numpy.random.randint() method returns random integers from low (inclusive) to high (exclusive).

main.py
import numpy as np

bool_array = np.random.randint(2, size=8)

# [0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0]
print(bool_array)

We simply compare the array to 0.5 to get an array of random boolean values.

main.py
import numpy as np

bool_array = np.random.randint(2, size=8) > 0.5

# [ True  True False False  True False  True False]
print(bool_array)
The code for this article is available on GitHub

# Additional Resources

You can learn more about the related topics by checking out the following tutorials:

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