Md. Abdullah Al Murad
The COUNT function in Excel helps us to count the number of cells containing numerical values within a given range. This is one of the more popular Statistical functions in Excel. This COUNT function is used to get the number of entries in a number field that is in a range or array of numbers. This article will share the complete idea of how the COUNT function works in Excel autonomously and then with other Excel functions.
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COUNT Function in Excel (Quick View)
Excel COUNT Function: Syntax & Arguments
Summary
Counts the number of cells in a range that contains numbers.
Syntax
=COUNT (value1, [value2], ...)
Arguments
| Argument | Required or Optional | Value |
|---|---|---|
| value1 | Required | Pass an item, cell reference, or range. |
| [value2] | Optional | Pass an optional item, cell reference, or range. |
Note:
- This function’s argument can be individual items, cell references, or ranges up to a total of 255 arguments.
- COUNT function ignores the logical values TRUE and FALSE.
- This function also ignores text values and empty cells.
How to Use the COUNT Function in Excel (5 Examples)
Example 1: Count Numbers in the Given Range Using COUNT Function
Using this COUNT function, we can easily count any range of numbers. For showing the process let’s assume we have a dataset of some Foods with their name, category, date, and sales. Now we will count the number of sales by counting the sales cells.
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=COUNT(E4:E15)
Example 2: Count Non-empty Cells Using COUNT Function
As we know that the COUNT function does not count any empty cells, so in our dataset if we have an empty cell this function will ignore the call. Let’s consider our dataset as below:
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=COUNT(E4:E15)
Observation
As we can see from the above picture the count function is ignoring the empty cells. It has counted the cells which are containing the number values.
Example 3: Count the Number of Valid Dates Using COUNT Function
Another feature of the COUNT function is it will only count the valid dates. For this process let’s assume the dataset like this:
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=COUNT(D4:D15)
Observation
As we can see from the above picture the count function is ignoring the cells which are containing invalid dates like 1st June 2021, 18/5/2021, etc. It has counted the cells which are containing the valid dates.
Example 4: Increase Count Using COUNT Function
This COUNT function allows us to increase any count as per our requirements. Let’s want to increase the number of sales counts by 1 or any number. Then we can take the help of the COUNT function.
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=COUNT(E4:E15,1)Formula Breakdown
- Here the first COUNT function counts the number of elements in E4:E15 in this range which is 12.
- Then as we have passed 1 as the second argument the total count will be increased by 1 and the final count will be 12+1 =13. Here in the second argument, we can pass any number like 2,5,100. All of them will return the same output as we are not considering the value of the number, we are considering the appearances of the number.
Example 4: Count Ignoring Invalid Cells Using COUNT Function
At the time of counting, the numbers COUNT function ignores invalid cells. Let’s assume in our dataset in sales columns some of the rows are containing text or string. We want to calculate the number of sales by ignoring those invalid sales.
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=COUNT(E4:E15)
Example 5: Calculating Average Using COUNT Function Formula
Let’s say we want to calculate the average sales after 6th June 2021. We can do this using a formula with the COUNT function.
Step 1: Enter the formula in cell G6 and press Enter
=AVERAGE(OFFSET(E4,COUNT(E4:E15),0,-7))Formula Breakdown
- Firstly, COUNT(E4:E15) counts the number in this range.
- Then OFFSET function helped in formulating dynamic rectangular ranges. Here E4 is our reference, COUNT(E4:E15) is the rows, 0 is defined as columns and lastly, -7 is used to extend the rectangular range up “backward” five rows to create the range E10:E15. You wanted to explore more about this function, you can check this link
- Then finally, the AVERAGE function calculator the average of the selected data. You can check this link to know more about this Excel function.
Things to Remember
| Common Errors | When they show |
|---|---|
| #NAME | It will appear when trying to use COUNT in an older version of Excel. |
| #REF! | It will appear if a COUNT function formula is used between two different workbooks and closed the source workbook. |
Conclusion
This is all about the COUNT function and its different applications. Overall, in terms of working with time, we need this function for various purposes. I have shown multiple methods with their respective examples but there can be many other iterations depending on numerous situations. If you have any other method of utilizing this function, then please feel free to share it with us.
Further Readings
- How to use COUNTBLANK function in Excel (3 Examples)
- How to Use COUNTIFS Function in Excel (4 Examples)
- How to Use COUNTIF Function in Excel (10 Suitable Applications)
- How to Use COUNTA Function in Excel (3 Suitable Examples)
- How to Use RANK Function in Excel (With 5 Examples)
- The Different Ways of Counting in Excel
- How to calculate Average, Median, & Mode in Excel
