Java Continue Statement
Examples and Detailed Explanation

In Java, the continue statement is used to skip the current iteration of a loop and move to the next iteration. It does not terminate the loop entirely (unlike break) — instead, it simply jumps over the remaining statements inside the loop body for that iteration.

When Should You Use continue?

You use continue when you want to ignore specific cases inside loops but still allow the loop to run. It's especially helpful when filtering data, skipping invalid inputs, or jumping over certain conditions without cluttering your loop logic.

Syntax of continue in Java

continue;

It’s that simple — just the word continue followed by a semicolon. Let’s bring it to life with examples.

Example 1: Skipping Even Numbers

public class ContinueExample1 {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
            if (i % 2 == 0) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.println("Odd number: " + i);
        }
    }
}

Odd number: 1
Odd number: 3
Odd number: 5
Odd number: 7
Odd number: 9

Explanation

Here, we loop from 1 to 10. When the number is even, the continue statement is triggered — the print statement is skipped, and the loop moves to the next number.

Example 2: Using continue in a While Loop

public class ContinueExample2 {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int i = 0;
        while (i < 6) {
            i++;
            if (i == 3) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.println("i = " + i);
        }
    }
}

i = 1
i = 2
i = 4
i = 5
i = 6

Explanation

When i == 3, the continue skips the System.out.println() and moves directly to the next loop cycle. That's why 3 is missing in the output.

Example 3: continue with Do-While Loop

public class ContinueExample3 {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int i = 0;
        do {
            i++;
            if (i == 2 || i == 4) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.println("Value: " + i);
        } while (i < 5);
    }
}

Value: 1
Value: 3
Value: 5

Explanation

This example shows that continue also works inside do-while loops. Notice how 2 and 4 are skipped.

Common Use Cases

• Skip invalid or unwanted values in a list or array
• Ignore specific characters in a string processing loop
• Prevent certain cases from being logged or printed

Points to Remember

• continue skips only the current iteration, not the entire loop.
• It's useful in all loop types — for, while, and do-while.
• Use it to simplify logic by avoiding nested if-else structures.

Quick Comparison: continue vs break

Keyword	Effect	Use Case
continue	Skips current loop iteration	Filter or ignore certain values
break	Exits the loop completely	Stop processing when a condition is met