Insert a new axis within a NumPy array
Last Updated :
15 Jul, 2025
This post deals with the ways to increase the dimension of an array in NumPy. NumPy provides us with two different built-in functions to increase the dimension of an array i.e.,
1D array will become 2D array
2D array will become 3D array
3D array will become 4D array
4D array will become 5D array
Add a New Axis to a Numpy Array
There are various ways to add a new axis to a NumPy array, here we are discussing some generally used methods for adding a new axis to a numpy array those are following.
Using numpy.newaxis()
The first method is to use numpy.newaxis object. This object is equivalent to use None as a parameter while declaring the array. The trick is to use the numpy.newaxis object as a parameter at the index location in which you want to add the new axis.
In this example This code uses NumPy to create a 2D array 'arr' with shape (5, 5) containing sequential values. It then transforms 'arr' into a 5D array 'arr_5D' by adding dimensions using indexing with 'np.newaxis'. The resulting shape of 'arr_5D' is (1, 5, 5, 1, 1).
Python3
import numpy as np
arr = np.arange(5*5).reshape(5, 5)
print(arr.shape)
# promoting 2D array to a 5D array
# arr[None, ..., None, None]
arr_5D = arr[np.newaxis, ..., np.newaxis, np.newaxis]
print(arr_5D.shape)
Output:
(5, 5)
(1, 5, 5, 1, 1)
Using numpy.expand_dims()
The second method is to use numpy.expand_dims() function that has an intuitive axis kwarg. This function takes two parameters. The first is the array of which you want to increase the dimension of and the second is index/indexes of array on which you want to create a new axis.
In this example The code uses NumPy to create a 3x4 matrix of zeros named 'x'. It then expands the dimensions of 'x' along axis 1, resulting in a new shape, and prints the shape. In this case, the output is (3, 1, 4), indicating an additional dimension added along axis 1.
Python3
import numpy as np
x = np.zeros((3, 4))
y = np.expand_dims(x, axis=1).shape
print(y)
Output:
(3, 1, 4)
Simultaneously Insert Many New Axes in the Array
In this method uses NumPy's `expand_dims` method to insert multiple new axes into a given array simultaneously. The array `arr` is initially created as a 5x5 array, and the `newaxes` tuple with values (0, 3, -1) is used to specify the positions of the new axes. The resulting 5D array, `arr_5D`, is printed along with its shape.
In this example code uses the NumPy library to create a 5x5 array and prints its shape. Then, it defines a tuple `newaxes` with values (0, 3, -1) and uses `np.expand_dims` to add three new dimensions to the original array based on the specified axes. Finally, it prints the shape of the resulting 5D array.
Python3
import numpy as np
arr = np.arange(5*5).reshape(5,5)
print(arr.shape)
newaxes = (0, 3, -1)
arr_5D = np.expand_dims(arr, axis=newaxes)
print(arr_5D.shape)
Output:
(5, 5)
(1, 5, 5, 1, 1)
Using numpy.reshape() for a Single Axis
The numpy.reshape() method is employed to insert a new axis into a NumPy array along a single dimension. The original array is reshaped to a specified shape, effectively adding a new axis. For instance, if the initial array is one-dimensional, calling arr.reshape((n, 1)) introduces a new axis along the second dimension.
In this example code uses the NumPy library to create a one-dimensional array 'arr' with values from 0 to 5. The 'reshape' function is then applied to 'arr' to create a two-dimensional array 'arr_reshape' with dimensions (2, 3).
Python3
import numpy as np
arr = np.arange(6)
arr_reshape = arr.reshape((2, 3))
Output:
[[0 1 2]
[3 4 5]]
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