How can I read a CSV file with Python’s csv module?

Use the standard-library csv module. Assume the file is named people.csv and contains comma-separated data with a header row:

name,city
Ari,Accra
Sam,Lagos

Here is a complete Python example:

import csv

with open("people.csv", "r", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as csv_file:
    reader = csv.reader(csv_file)
    header = next(reader)
    print("Header:", header)

    for row in reader:
        print(row)

The documented pattern is to open the file with newline=''; specifying encoding='utf-8' requests UTF-8 text decoding. csv.reader returns each parsed row as a list, so this example consumes the first list as the header and prints each later list. [S1]

For the sample data, the output is:

Header: ['name', 'city']
['Ari', 'Accra']
['Sam', 'Lagos']

This output is illustrative, based on the assumed sample file. The code opens the file in read mode ("r") and only prints values; it contains no file-writing operation.

newline='' lets the CSV module handle newline conventions, including newlines inside quoted fields. The Python documentation recommends this when opening a CSV file for reading. encoding='utf-8' explicitly requests UTF-8 text decoding. [S1]

You can omit either setting, but then you are not using those documented settings. This example assumes the file is UTF-8; if it uses another encoding, UTF-8 may not decode it as intended. The documentation shows how to request UTF-8; it does not establish the encoding of your particular file.

For a file with a header, next(reader) consumes its first row, so the loop starts with the data rows. To handle an empty file without StopIteration, give next() a default value:

import csv

with open("people.csv", "r", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as csv_file:
    reader = csv.reader(csv_file)
    header = next(reader, None)

    if header is None:
        print("The file is empty.")
    else:
        for row in reader:
            print(row)

This empty-file check does not establish whether a nonempty file has column names. If the file has no header, do not skip its first row; use the format you expect for that file.

Check the file-format assumptions first. The example expects ordinary comma-separated data and a header in the first row. CSV dialects can differ among applications, so not every file necessarily uses commas or the same conventions. [S1] Inspect a small excerpt as text and confirm the delimiter and whether the first row is a header before changing the reader. The example cannot establish the format or encoding of your particular file.

As a starting checklist: choose the correct filename, open it in read mode with newline='' and the expected encoding, create a reader, and decide whether to consume the first row as a header. Keep reading inside the with block. The example prints parsed values; it does not preserve spreadsheet formatting or modify the input file.