What is the return type of input() function in Python?

The input() function in Python is designed to read a line of text from the user. Regardless of what the user types, the function always returns the user input as a string. This means that any numerical input—whether in the form of integers or floats—will also be considered a string. For example, if a user inputs "123" or "45.67", the output from the input() function will be the string representations of those values: "123" and "45.67" respectively.

This behavior emphasizes that to perform any mathematical operations on the input, you need to explicitly convert the string to the appropriate data type, such as using int() for integers or float() for floating point numbers. Thus, understanding that the return type is a string is crucial for proper handling of user input in Python, as this ensures users know they must perform type conversions as needed based on their application's requirements.