<p>MySQL raises ER_TOO_BIG_SCALE when a DECIMAL or NUMERIC column is defined with a scale larger than its precision or the server limit.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1425: ER_TOO_BIG_SCALE occurs when the scale value for a DECIMAL column exceeds its precision or MySQLs maximum allowed scale. Reduce the scale or increase the precision to resolve the error.</p>
Too big scale %d specified for column '%s'. Maximum is
The error message Too big scale specified for column appears when MySQL validates a DECIMAL or NUMERIC definition and finds the scale larger than the permitted range.
Scale represents the number of digits after the decimal point. Precision represents the total number of digits. MySQL requires scale to be less than or equal to precision and also caps both values based on version and storage engine.
The error surfaces during CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, or ADD COLUMN statements that define a DECIMAL column with an invalid scale.
It can also appear in generated columns or views if underlying expressions cast to DECIMAL with an oversized scale.
Leaving the statement unresolved blocks schema changes, halting deployments and application updates.
Ignoring the constraint can cause inconsistent number storage and unexpected rounding, which affects financial calculations and analytics.
Defining DECIMAL(10,12) where 12 (scale) is greater than 10 (precision) immediately triggers the error.
Using DECIMAL(70,30) on older MySQL versions where maximum precision is 65 results in the error even if scale is smaller.
Expressions like amount * 1.000000000000 might promote scale past the allowed limit.
ORM tools may generate incorrect precision-scale pairs when converting from generic decimal types.
Thrown when DECIMAL precision exceeds MySQL's maximum
Raised when inserting a value that cannot be stored in the declared DECIMAL scale
Occurs when MySQL truncates numeric input that does not fit into the column definition
Yes. Scale must be equal to or smaller than precision; otherwise MySQL rejects the definition.
Up to version 5.7, the limit is 65 digits of precision and 30 digits of scale. MySQL 8.0 retains the same limits.
If new scale is smaller, MySQL rounds values. Always back up and test before modifying production columns.
Galaxy's editor validates DDL statements, flags invalid scale values, and offers AI suggestions to rewrite the column definition correctly.
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