diff --git a/pandas/core/methods/describe.py b/pandas/core/methods/describe.py
index 944e28a9b0238..cc33c4e83a5ac 100644
--- a/pandas/core/methods/describe.py
+++ b/pandas/core/methods/describe.py
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ def _select_data(self) -> DataFrame:
                 include=self.include,
                 exclude=self.exclude,
             )
+            if len(data.columns) == 0:
+                msg = "None of the included dtypes are present in the DataFrame"
+                raise ValueError(msg)
         return data
 
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_describe.py b/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_describe.py
index 50656ca85e90a..33f1d6dd5fe09 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_describe.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/frame/methods/test_describe.py
@@ -371,6 +371,13 @@ def test_describe_when_include_all_exclude_not_allowed(self, exclude):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=msg):
             df.describe(include="all", exclude=exclude)
 
+    def test_describe_when_included_dtypes_not_present(self):
+        # GH#61863
+        df = DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]})
+        msg = "None of the included dtypes are present in the DataFrame"
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=msg):
+            df.describe(include=["datetime"])
+
     def test_describe_with_duplicate_columns(self):
         df = DataFrame(
             [[1, 1, 1], [2, 2, 2], [3, 3, 3]],