Excel functions / Maths & statistics
COUNT & COUNTA
COUNT counts cells containing numbers. COUNTA counts cells that are not empty.
Syntax
=COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)Arguments
value1, value2, ... | The cells or ranges to count. |
|---|
How it works
COUNT only counts numbers and dates, so it is a quick way to see how many entries a numeric column really has.
COUNTA counts anything that is not empty: numbers, text, even a formula that returns an empty-looking result. Use it to count names or rows of data.
Their partner COUNTBLANK counts the empty cells.
Example
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rep | Deals | ||
| 2 | Jo | 12 | 2 | |
| 3 | Kim | n/a | ||
| 4 | Lee | 15 | ||
| 5 |
Result: 2. Only 2 of the cells hold numbers. COUNTA(B2:B4) would give 3.
Tips
- If COUNT gives fewer than you expect, some numbers are probably stored as text.
Practise COUNT & COUNTA
Try it yourself in a real spreadsheet, with instant feedback on every answer.