Counting is an integral part of data analysis, whether you are tallying the head count of a department in your organization or the number of units that were sold quarter-by-quarter. Excel provides multiple techniques that you can use to count cells, rows, or columns of data. To help you make the best choice, this article provides a comprehensive summary of methods, a downloadable workbook with interactive examples, and links to related topics for further understanding.
Download our examples
You can download an example workbook that gives examples to supplement the information in this article. Most sections in this article will refer to the appropriate worksheet within the example workbook that provides examples and more information.
Download examples to count values in a spreadsheet
In this article
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Simple counting
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Use AutoSum
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Add a Subtotal row
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Count cells in a list or Excel table column by using the SUBTOTAL function
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Counting based on one or more conditions
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Video: Use the COUNT, COUNTIF, and COUNTA functions
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Count cells in a range by using the COUNT function
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Count cells in a range based on a single condition by using the COUNTIF function
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Count cells in a column based on single or multiple conditions by using the DCOUNT function
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Count cells in a range based on multiple conditions by using the COUNTIFS function
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Count based on criteria by using the COUNT and IF functions together
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Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together
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Count cells in a column or row in a PivotTable
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Counting when your data contains blank values
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Count nonblank cells in a range by using the COUNTA function
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Count nonblank cells in a list with specific conditions by using the DCOUNTA function
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Count blank cells in a contiguous range by using the COUNTBLANK function
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Count blank cells in a non-contiguous range by using a combination of SUM and IF functions
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Counting unique occurrences of values
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Count the number of unique values in a list column by using Advanced Filter
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Count the number of unique values in a range that meet one or more conditions by using IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions
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Special cases (count all cells, count words)
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Count the total number of cells in a range by using ROWS and COLUMNS functions
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Count words in a range by using a combination of SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions
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Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar
Simple counting
You can count the number of values in a range or table by using a simple formula, clicking a button, or by using a worksheet function.
Excel can also display the count of the number of selected cells on the Excel status bar. See the video demo that follows for a quick look at using the status bar. Also, see the section Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar for more information. You can refer to the values shown on the status bar when you want a quick glance at your data and don’t have time to enter formulas.
Video: Count cells by using the Excel status bar
Watch the following video to learn how to view count on the status bar.
Use AutoSum
Use AutoSum by selecting a range of cells that contains at least one numeric value. Then on the Formulas tab, click AutoSum > Count Numbers.
Excel returns the count of the numeric values in the range in a cell adjacent to the range you selected. Generally, this result is displayed in a cell to the right for a horizontal range or in a cell below for a vertical range.
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Add a Subtotal row
You can add a subtotal row to your Excel data. Click anywhere inside your data, and then click Data > Subtotal.
Note: The Subtotal option will only work on normal Excel data, and not Excel tables, PivotTables, or PivotCharts.
Also, refer to the following articles:
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Outline (group) data in a worksheet
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Insert subtotals in a list of data in a worksheet
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Count cells in a list or Excel table column by using the SUBTOTAL function
Use the SUBTOTAL function to count the number of values in an Excel table or range of cells. If the table or range contains hidden cells, you can use SUBTOTAL to include or exclude those hidden cells, and this is the biggest difference between SUM and SUBTOTAL functions.
The SUBTOTAL syntax goes like this:
SUBTOTAL(function_num,ref1,[ref2],…)
To include hidden values in your range, you should set the function_num argument to 2.
To exclude hidden values in your range, set the function_num argument to 102.
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Counting based on one or more conditions
You can count the number of cells in a range that meet conditions (also known as criteria) that you specify by using a number of worksheet functions.
Video: Use the COUNT, COUNTIF, and COUNTA functions
Watch the following video to see how to use the COUNT function and how to use the COUNTIF and COUNTA functions to count only the cells that meet conditions you specify.
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Count cells in a range by using the COUNT function
Use the COUNT function in a formula to count the number of numeric values in a range.
In the above example, A2, A3, and A6 are the only cells that contains numeric values in the range, hence the output is 3.
Note: A7 is a time value, but it contains text (a.m.), hence COUNT does not consider it a numerical value. If you were to remove a.m. from the cell, COUNT will consider A7 as a numerical value, and change the output to 4.
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Count cells in a range based on a single condition by using the COUNTIF function
Use the COUNTIF function function to count how many times a particular value appears in a range of cells.
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Count cells in a column based on single or multiple conditions by using the DCOUNT function
DCOUNT function counts the cells that contain numbers in a field (column) of records in a list or database that match conditions that you specify.
In the following example, you want to find the count of the months including or later than March 2016 that had more than 400 units sold. The first table in the worksheet, from A1 to B7, contains the sales data.
DCOUNT uses conditions to determine where the values should be returned from. Conditions are typically entered in cells in the worksheet itself, and you then refer to these cells in the criteria argument. In this example, cells A10 and B10 contain two conditions—one that specifies that the return value must be greater than 400, and the other that specifies that the ending month should be equal to or greater than March 31st, 2016.
You should use the following syntax:
=DCOUNT(A1:B7,»Month ending»,A9:B10)
DCOUNT checks the data in the range A1 through B7, applies the conditions specified in A10 and B10, and returns 2, the total number of rows that satisfy both conditions (rows 5 and 7).
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Count cells in a range based on multiple conditions by using the COUNTIFS function
The COUNTIFS function is similar to the COUNTIF function with one important exception: COUNTIFS lets you apply criteria to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times all criteria are met. You can use up to 127 range/criteria pairs with COUNTIFS.
The syntax for COUNTIFS is:
COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2],…)
See the following example:
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Count based on criteria by using the COUNT and IF functions together
Let’s say you need to determine how many salespeople sold a particular item in a certain region or you want to know how many sales over a certain value were made by a particular salesperson. You can use the IF and COUNT functions together; that is, you first use the IF function to test a condition and then, only if the result of the IF function is True, you use the COUNT function to count cells.
Notes:
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The formulas in this example must be entered as array formulas. If you have opened this workbook in Excel for Windows or Excel 2016 for Mac and want to change the formula or create a similar formula, press F2, and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to make the formula return the results you expect. In earlier versions of Excel for Mac, use +Shift+Enter.
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For the example formulas to work, the second argument for the IF function must be a number.
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Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together
In the examples that follow, we use the IF and SUM functions together. The IF function first tests the values in some cells and then, if the result of the test is True, SUM totals those values that pass the test.
Example 1
The above function says if C2:C7 contains the values Buchanan and Dodsworth, then the SUM function should display the sum of records where the condition is met. The formula finds three records for Buchanan and one for Dodsworth in the given range, and displays 4.
Example 2
The above function says if D2:D7 contains values lesser than $9000 or greater than $19,000, then SUM should display the sum of all those records where the condition is met. The formula finds two records D3 and D5 with values lesser than $9000, and then D4 and D6 with values greater than $19,000, and displays 4.
Example 3
The above function says if D2:D7 has invoices for Buchanan for less than $9000, then SUM should display the sum of records where the condition is met. The formula finds that C6 meets the condition, and displays 1.
Important: The formulas in this example must be entered as array formulas. That means you press F2 and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. In earlier versions of Excel for Mac use +Shift+Enter.
See the following Knowledge Base articles for additional tips:
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XL: Using SUM(IF()) As an Array Function Instead of COUNTIF() with AND
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XL: How to Count the Occurrences of a Number or Text in a Range
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Count cells in a column or row in a PivotTable
A PivotTable summarizes your data and helps you analyze and drill down into your data by letting you choose the categories on which you want to view your data.
You can quickly create a PivotTable by selecting a cell in a range of data or Excel table and then, on the Insert tab, in the Tables group, clicking PivotTable.
Let’s look at a sample scenario of a Sales spreadsheet, where you can count how many sales values are there for Golf and Tennis for specific quarters.
Note: For an interactive experience, you can run these steps on the sample data provided in the PivotTable sheet in the downloadable workbook.
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Enter the following data in an Excel spreadsheet.
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Select A2:C8
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Click Insert > PivotTable.
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In the Create PivotTable dialog box, click Select a table or range, then click New Worksheet, and then click OK.
An empty PivotTable is created in a new sheet.
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In the PivotTable Fields pane, do the following:
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Drag Sport to the Rows area.
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Drag Quarter to the Columns area.
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Drag Sales to the Values area.
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Repeat step c.
The field name displays as SumofSales2 in both the PivotTable and the Values area.
At this point, the PivotTable Fields pane looks like this:
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In the Values area, click the dropdown next to SumofSales2 and select Value Field Settings.
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In the Value Field Settings dialog box, do the following:
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In the Summarize value field by section, select Count.
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In the Custom Name field, modify the name to Count.
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Click OK.
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The PivotTable displays the count of records for Golf and Tennis in Quarter 3 and Quarter 4, along with the sales figures.
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Counting when your data contains blank values
You can count cells that either contain data or are blank by using worksheet functions.
Count nonblank cells in a range by using the COUNTA function
Use the COUNTA function function to count only cells in a range that contain values.
When you count cells, sometimes you want to ignore any blank cells because only cells with values are meaningful to you. For example, you want to count the total number of salespeople who made a sale (column D).
COUNTA ignores the blank values in D3, D4, D8, and D11, and counts only the cells containing values in column D. The function finds six cells in column D containing values and displays 6 as the output.
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Count nonblank cells in a list with specific conditions by using the DCOUNTA function
Use the DCOUNTA function to count nonblank cells in a column of records in a list or database that match conditions that you specify.
The following example uses the DCOUNTA function to count the number of records in the database that is contained in the range A1:B7 that meet the conditions specified in the criteria range A9:B10. Those conditions are that the Product ID value must be greater than or equal to 2000 and the Ratings value must be greater than or equal to 50.
DCOUNTA finds two rows that meet the conditions- rows 2 and 4, and displays the value 2 as the output.
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Count blank cells in a contiguous range by using the COUNTBLANK function
Use the COUNTBLANK function function to return the number of blank cells in a contiguous range (cells are contiguous if they are all connected in an unbroken sequence). If a cell contains a formula that returns empty text («»), that cell is counted.
When you count cells, there may be times when you want to include blank cells because they are meaningful to you. In the following example of a grocery sales spreadsheet. suppose you want to find out how many cells don’t have the sales figures mentioned.
Note: The COUNTBLANK worksheet function provides the most convenient method for determining the number of blank cells in a range, but it doesn’t work very well when the cells of interest are in a closed workbook or when they do not form a contiguous range. The Knowledge Base article XL: When to Use SUM(IF()) instead of CountBlank() shows you how to use a SUM(IF()) array formula in those cases.
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Count blank cells in a non-contiguous range by using a combination of SUM and IF functions
Use a combination of the SUM function and the IF function. In general, you do this by using the IF function in an array formula to determine whether each referenced cell contains a value, and then summing the number of FALSE values returned by the formula.
See a few examples of SUM and IF function combinations in an earlier section Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together in this topic.
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Counting unique occurrences of values
You can count unique values in a range by using a PivotTable, COUNTIF function, SUM and IF functions together, or the Advanced Filter dialog box.
Count the number of unique values in a list column by using Advanced Filter
Use the Advanced Filter dialog box to find the unique values in a column of data. You can either filter the values in place or you can extract and paste them to a new location. Then you can use the ROWS function to count the number of items in the new range.
To use Advanced Filter, click the Data tab, and in the Sort & Filter group, click Advanced.
The following figure shows how you use the Advanced Filter to copy only the unique records to a new location on the worksheet.
In the following figure, column E contains the values that were copied from the range in column D.
Notes:
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If you filter your data in place, values are not deleted from your worksheet — one or more rows might be hidden. Click Clear in the Sort & Filter group on the Data tab to display those values again.
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If you only want to see the number of unique values at a quick glance, select the data after you have used the Advanced Filter (either the filtered or the copied data) and then look at the status bar. The Count value on the status bar should equal the number of unique values.
For more information, see Filter by using advanced criteria
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Count the number of unique values in a range that meet one or more conditions by using IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions
Use various combinations of the IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions.
For more information and examples, see the section «Count the number of unique values by using functions» in the article Count unique values among duplicates.
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Special cases (count all cells, count words)
You can count the number of cells or the number of words in a range by using various combinations of worksheet functions.
Count the total number of cells in a range by using ROWS and COLUMNS functions
Suppose you want to determine the size of a large worksheet to decide whether to use manual or automatic calculation in your workbook. To count all the cells in a range, use a formula that multiplies the return values using the ROWS and COLUMNS functions. See the following image for an example:
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Count words in a range by using a combination of SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions
You can use a combination of the SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions in an array formula. The following example shows the result of using a nested formula to find the number of words in a range of 7 cells (3 of which are empty). Some of the cells contain leading or trailing spaces — the TRIM and SUBSTITUTE functions remove these extra spaces before any counting occurs. See the following example:
Now, for the above formula to work correctly, you have to make this an array formula, otherwise the formula returns the #VALUE! error. To do that, click on the cell that has the formula, and then in the Formula bar, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Excel adds a curly bracket at the beginning and the end of the formula, thus making it an array formula.
For more information on array formulas, see Overview of formulas in Excel and Create an array formula.
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Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar
When one or more cells are selected, information about the data in those cells is displayed on the Excel status bar. For example, if four cells on your worksheet are selected, and they contain the values 2, 3, a text string (such as «cloud»), and 4, all of the following values can be displayed on the status bar at the same time: Average, Count, Numerical Count, Min, Max, and Sum. Right-click the status bar to show or hide any or all of these values. These values are shown in the illustration that follows.
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Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.
Содержание
- 7 Quick & Easy Ways to Number Rows in Excel
- How to Number Rows in Excel
- 1] Using Fill Handle
- 2] Using Fill Series
- 3] Using the ROW Function
- 4] Using the COUNTA Function
- 5] Using SUBTOTAL For Filtered Data
- 6] Creating an Excel Table
- 7] Adding 1 to the Previous Row Number
- Ways to count values in a worksheet
- Download our examples
- In this article
- Simple counting
- Video: Count cells by using the Excel status bar
- Use AutoSum
- Add a Subtotal row
- Count cells in a list or Excel table column by using the SUBTOTAL function
- Counting based on one or more conditions
- Video: Use the COUNT, COUNTIF, and COUNTA functions
- Count cells in a range by using the COUNT function
- Count cells in a range based on a single condition by using the COUNTIF function
- Count cells in a column based on single or multiple conditions by using the DCOUNT function
- Count cells in a range based on multiple conditions by using the COUNTIFS function
- Count based on criteria by using the COUNT and IF functions together
- Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together
- Count cells in a column or row in a PivotTable
- Counting when your data contains blank values
- Count nonblank cells in a range by using the COUNTA function
- Count nonblank cells in a list with specific conditions by using the DCOUNTA function
- Count blank cells in a contiguous range by using the COUNTBLANK function
- Count blank cells in a non-contiguous range by using a combination of SUM and IF functions
- Counting unique occurrences of values
- Count the number of unique values in a list column by using Advanced Filter
- Count the number of unique values in a range that meet one or more conditions by using IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions
- Special cases (count all cells, count words)
- Count the total number of cells in a range by using ROWS and COLUMNS functions
- Count words in a range by using a combination of SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions
- Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar
- Need more help?
7 Quick & Easy Ways to Number Rows in Excel
Watch Video – 7 Quick and Easy Ways to Number Rows in Excel
When working with Excel, there are some small tasks that need to be done quite often. Knowing the ‘right way’ can save you a great deal of time.
One such simple (yet often needed) task is to number the rows of a dataset in Excel (also called the serial numbers in a dataset).
Now if you’re thinking that one of the ways is to simply enter these serial number manually, well – you’re right!
But that’s not the best way to do it.
Imagine having hundreds or thousands of rows for which you need to enter the row number. It would be tedious – and completely unnecessary.
There are many ways to number rows in Excel, and in this tutorial, I am going to share some of the ways that I recommend and often use.
Of course, there would be more, and I will be waiting – with a coffee – in the comments area to hear from you about it.
This Tutorial Covers:
How to Number Rows in Excel
The best way to number the rows in Excel would depend on the kind of data set that you have.
For example, you may have a continuous data set that starts from row 1, or a dataset that start from a different row. Or, you might have a dataset that has a few blank rows in it, and you only want to number the rows that are filled.
You can choose any one of the methods that work based on your dataset.
1] Using Fill Handle
Fill handle identifies a pattern from a few filled cells and can easily be used to quickly fill the entire column.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to quickly number the rows using the fill handle:
Note that Fill Handle automatically identifies the pattern and fill the remaining cells with that pattern. In this case, the pattern was that the numbers were getting incrementing by 1.
In case you have a blank row in the dataset, fill handle would only work till the last contiguous non-blank row.
Also, note that in case you don’t have data in the adjacent column, double-clicking the fill handle would not work. You can, however, place the cursor on the fill handle, hold the right mouse key and drag down. It will fill the cells covered by the cursor dragging.
2] Using Fill Series
While Fill Handle is a quick way to number rows in Excel, Fill Series gives you a lot more control over how the numbers are entered.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to use Fill Series to number rows in Excel:
This will instantly number the rows from 1 to 26.
Using ‘Fill Series’ can be useful when you’re starting by entering the row numbers. Unlike Fill Handle, it doesn’t require the adjacent columns to be filled already.
Even if you have nothing on the worksheet, Fill Series would still work.
Note: In case you have blank rows in the middle of the dataset, Fill Series would still fill the number for that row.
3] Using the ROW Function
You can also use Excel functions to number the rows in Excel.
In the Fill Handle and Fill Series methods above, the serial number inserted is a static value. This means that if you move the row (or cut and paste it somewhere else in the dataset), the row numbering will not change accordingly.
This shortcoming can be tackled using formulas in Excel.
You can use the ROW function to get the row numbering in Excel.
To get the row numbering using the ROW function, enter the following formula in the first cell and copy for all the other cells:
The ROW() function gives the row number of the current row. So I have subtracted 1 from it as I started from the second row onwards. If your data starts from the 5th row, you need to use the formula =ROW()-4.
The best part about using the ROW function is that it will not screw up the numberings if you delete a row in your dataset.
Since the ROW function is not referencing any cell, it will automatically (or should I say AutoMagically) adjust to give you the correct row number. Something as shown below:
Note that as soon as I delete a row, the row numbers automatically update.
Again, this would not take into account any blank records in the dataset. In case you have blank rows, it will still show the row number.
You can use the following formula to hide the row number for blank rows, but it would still not adjust the row numbers (such that the next row number is assigned to the next filled row).
4] Using the COUNTA Function
If you want to number rows in a way that only the ones that are filled get a serial number, then this method is the way to go.
It uses the COUNTA function that counts the number of cells in a range that are not empty.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Note that there are blank rows in the above-shown dataset.
Here is the formula that will number the rows without numbering the blank rows.
The IF function checks whether the adjacent cell in column B is empty or not. If it’s empty, it returns a blank, but if it’s not, it returns the count of all the filled cells till that cell.
5] Using SUBTOTAL For Filtered Data
Sometimes, you may have a huge dataset, where you want to filter the data and then copy and paste the filtered data into a separate sheet.
If you use any of the methods shown above so far, you will notice that the row numbers remain the same. This means that when you copy the filtered data, you will have to update the row numbering.
In such cases, the SUBTOTAL function can automatically update the row numbers. Even when you filter the data set, the row numbers will remain intact.
Let me show you exactly how it works with an example.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
If I filter this data based on Product A sales, you will get something as shown below:
Note that the serial numbers in Column A are also filtered. So now, you only see the numbers for the rows that are visible.
While this is the expected behavior, in case you want to get a serial row numbering – so that you can simply copy and paste this data somewhere else – you can use the SUBTOTAL function.
Here is the SUBTOTAL function that will make sure that even the filtered data has continuous row numbering.
The 3 in the SUBTOTAL function specifies using the COUNTA function. The second argument is the range on which COUNTA function is applied.
The benefit of the SUBTOTAL function is that it dynamically updates when you filter the data (as shown below):
Note that even when the data is filtered, the row numbering update and remains continuous.
6] Creating an Excel Table
Excel Table is a great tool that you must use when working with tabular data. It makes managing and using data a lot easier.
This is also my favorite method among all the techniques shown in this tutorial.
Let me first show you the right way to number the rows using an Excel Table:
Note that in the formula above, I have used Table2, as that is the name of my Excel table. You can replace Table2 with the name of the table you have.
There are some added benefits of using an Excel Table while numbering rows in Excel:
- Since Excel Table automatically inserts the formula in the entire column, it works when you insert a new row in the Table. This means that when you insert/delete rows in an Excel Table, the row numbering would automatically update (as shown below).
- If you add more rows to the data, Excel Table would automatically expand to include this data as a part of the table. And since the formulas automatically update in the calculated columns, it would insert the row number for the newly inserted row (as shown below).
7] Adding 1 to the Previous Row Number
This is a simple method that works.
The idea is to add 1 to the previous row number (the number in the cell above). This will make sure that subsequent rows get a number that is incremented by 1.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to enter row numbers using this method:
- In the cell in the first row, enter 1 manually. In this case, it’s in cell A2.
- In cell A3, enter the formula, =A2+1
- Copy and paste the formula for all the cells in the column.
The above steps would enter serial numbers in all the cells in the column. In case there are any blank rows, this would still insert the row number for it.
Also note that in case you insert a new row, the row number would not update. In case you delete a row, all the cells below the deleted row would show a reference error.
These are some quick ways you can use to insert serial numbers in tabular data in Excel.
In case you are using any other method, do share it with me in the comments section.
You May Also Like the Following Excel Tutorials:
Источник
Ways to count values in a worksheet
Counting is an integral part of data analysis, whether you are tallying the head count of a department in your organization or the number of units that were sold quarter-by-quarter. Excel provides multiple techniques that you can use to count cells, rows, or columns of data. To help you make the best choice, this article provides a comprehensive summary of methods, a downloadable workbook with interactive examples, and links to related topics for further understanding.
Note: Counting should not be confused with summing. For more information about summing values in cells, columns, or rows, see Summing up ways to add and count Excel data.
Download our examples
You can download an example workbook that gives examples to supplement the information in this article. Most sections in this article will refer to the appropriate worksheet within the example workbook that provides examples and more information.
In this article
Simple counting
You can count the number of values in a range or table by using a simple formula, clicking a button, or by using a worksheet function.
Excel can also display the count of the number of selected cells on the Excel status bar. See the video demo that follows for a quick look at using the status bar. Also, see the section Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar for more information. You can refer to the values shown on the status bar when you want a quick glance at your data and don’t have time to enter formulas.
Video: Count cells by using the Excel status bar
Watch the following video to learn how to view count on the status bar.
Use AutoSum
Use AutoSum by selecting a range of cells that contains at least one numeric value. Then on the Formulas tab, click AutoSum > Count Numbers.
Excel returns the count of the numeric values in the range in a cell adjacent to the range you selected. Generally, this result is displayed in a cell to the right for a horizontal range or in a cell below for a vertical range.
Add a Subtotal row
You can add a subtotal row to your Excel data. Click anywhere inside your data, and then click Data > Subtotal.
Note: The Subtotal option will only work on normal Excel data, and not Excel tables, PivotTables, or PivotCharts.
Also, refer to the following articles:
Count cells in a list or Excel table column by using the SUBTOTAL function
Use the SUBTOTAL function to count the number of values in an Excel table or range of cells. If the table or range contains hidden cells, you can use SUBTOTAL to include or exclude those hidden cells, and this is the biggest difference between SUM and SUBTOTAL functions.
The SUBTOTAL syntax goes like this:
To include hidden values in your range, you should set the function_num argument to 2.
To exclude hidden values in your range, set the function_num argument to 102.
Counting based on one or more conditions
You can count the number of cells in a range that meet conditions (also known as criteria) that you specify by using a number of worksheet functions.
Video: Use the COUNT, COUNTIF, and COUNTA functions
Watch the following video to see how to use the COUNT function and how to use the COUNTIF and COUNTA functions to count only the cells that meet conditions you specify.
Count cells in a range by using the COUNT function
Use the COUNT function in a formula to count the number of numeric values in a range.
In the above example, A2, A3, and A6 are the only cells that contains numeric values in the range, hence the output is 3.
Note: A7 is a time value, but it contains text ( a.m.), hence COUNT does not consider it a numerical value. If you were to remove a.m. from the cell, COUNT will consider A7 as a numerical value, and change the output to 4.
Count cells in a range based on a single condition by using the COUNTIF function
Use the COUNTIF function function to count how many times a particular value appears in a range of cells.
Count cells in a column based on single or multiple conditions by using the DCOUNT function
DCOUNT function counts the cells that contain numbers in a field (column) of records in a list or database that match conditions that you specify.
In the following example, you want to find the count of the months including or later than March 2016 that had more than 400 units sold. The first table in the worksheet, from A1 to B7, contains the sales data.
DCOUNT uses conditions to determine where the values should be returned from. Conditions are typically entered in cells in the worksheet itself, and you then refer to these cells in the criteria argument. In this example, cells A10 and B10 contain two conditions—one that specifies that the return value must be greater than 400, and the other that specifies that the ending month should be equal to or greater than March 31st, 2016.
You should use the following syntax:
DCOUNT checks the data in the range A1 through B7, applies the conditions specified in A10 and B10, and returns 2, the total number of rows that satisfy both conditions (rows 5 and 7).
Count cells in a range based on multiple conditions by using the COUNTIFS function
The COUNTIFS function is similar to the COUNTIF function with one important exception: COUNTIFS lets you apply criteria to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times all criteria are met. You can use up to 127 range/criteria pairs with COUNTIFS.
The syntax for COUNTIFS is:
COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2],…)
See the following example:
Count based on criteria by using the COUNT and IF functions together
Let’s say you need to determine how many salespeople sold a particular item in a certain region or you want to know how many sales over a certain value were made by a particular salesperson. You can use the IF and COUNT functions together; that is, you first use the IF function to test a condition and then, only if the result of the IF function is True, you use the COUNT function to count cells.
The formulas in this example must be entered as array formulas. If you have opened this workbook in Excel for Windows or Excel 2016 for Mac and want to change the formula or create a similar formula, press F2, and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to make the formula return the results you expect. In earlier versions of Excel for Mac, use +Shift+Enter.
For the example formulas to work, the second argument for the IF function must be a number.
Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together
In the examples that follow, we use the IF and SUM functions together. The IF function first tests the values in some cells and then, if the result of the test is True, SUM totals those values that pass the test.
The above function says if C2:C7 contains the values Buchanan and Dodsworth, then the SUM function should display the sum of records where the condition is met. The formula finds three records for Buchanan and one for Dodsworth in the given range, and displays 4.
The above function says if D2:D7 contains values lesser than $9000 or greater than $19,000, then SUM should display the sum of all those records where the condition is met. The formula finds two records D3 and D5 with values lesser than $9000, and then D4 and D6 with values greater than $19,000, and displays 4.
The above function says if D2:D7 has invoices for Buchanan for less than $9000, then SUM should display the sum of records where the condition is met. The formula finds that C6 meets the condition, and displays 1.
Important: The formulas in this example must be entered as array formulas. That means you press F2 and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. In earlier versions of Excel for Mac use +Shift+Enter.
See the following Knowledge Base articles for additional tips:
Count cells in a column or row in a PivotTable
A PivotTable summarizes your data and helps you analyze and drill down into your data by letting you choose the categories on which you want to view your data.
You can quickly create a PivotTable by selecting a cell in a range of data or Excel table and then, on the Insert tab, in the Tables group, clicking PivotTable.
Let’s look at a sample scenario of a Sales spreadsheet, where you can count how many sales values are there for Golf and Tennis for specific quarters.
Note: For an interactive experience, you can run these steps on the sample data provided in the PivotTable sheet in the downloadable workbook.
Enter the following data in an Excel spreadsheet.
Click Insert > PivotTable.
In the Create PivotTable dialog box, click Select a table or range, then click New Worksheet, and then click OK.
An empty PivotTable is created in a new sheet.
In the PivotTable Fields pane, do the following:
Drag Sport to the Rows area.
Drag Quarter to the Columns area.
Drag Sales to the Values area.
The field name displays as SumofSales2 in both the PivotTable and the Values area.
At this point, the PivotTable Fields pane looks like this:
In the Values area, click the dropdown next to SumofSales2 and select Value Field Settings.
In the Value Field Settings dialog box, do the following:
In the Summarize value field by section, select Count.
In the Custom Name field, modify the name to Count.
The PivotTable displays the count of records for Golf and Tennis in Quarter 3 and Quarter 4, along with the sales figures.
Counting when your data contains blank values
You can count cells that either contain data or are blank by using worksheet functions.
Count nonblank cells in a range by using the COUNTA function
Use the COUNTA function function to count only cells in a range that contain values.
When you count cells, sometimes you want to ignore any blank cells because only cells with values are meaningful to you. For example, you want to count the total number of salespeople who made a sale (column D).
COUNTA ignores the blank values in D3, D4, D8, and D11, and counts only the cells containing values in column D. The function finds six cells in column D containing values and displays 6 as the output.
Count nonblank cells in a list with specific conditions by using the DCOUNTA function
Use the DCOUNTA function to count nonblank cells in a column of records in a list or database that match conditions that you specify.
The following example uses the DCOUNTA function to count the number of records in the database that is contained in the range A1:B7 that meet the conditions specified in the criteria range A9:B10. Those conditions are that the Product ID value must be greater than or equal to 2000 and the Ratings value must be greater than or equal to 50.
DCOUNTA finds two rows that meet the conditions- rows 2 and 4, and displays the value 2 as the output.
Count blank cells in a contiguous range by using the COUNTBLANK function
Use the COUNTBLANK function function to return the number of blank cells in a contiguous range (cells are contiguous if they are all connected in an unbroken sequence). If a cell contains a formula that returns empty text («»), that cell is counted.
When you count cells, there may be times when you want to include blank cells because they are meaningful to you. In the following example of a grocery sales spreadsheet. suppose you want to find out how many cells don’t have the sales figures mentioned.
Note: The COUNTBLANK worksheet function provides the most convenient method for determining the number of blank cells in a range, but it doesn’t work very well when the cells of interest are in a closed workbook or when they do not form a contiguous range. The Knowledge Base article XL: When to Use SUM(IF()) instead of CountBlank() shows you how to use a SUM(IF()) array formula in those cases.
Count blank cells in a non-contiguous range by using a combination of SUM and IF functions
Use a combination of the SUM function and the IF function. In general, you do this by using the IF function in an array formula to determine whether each referenced cell contains a value, and then summing the number of FALSE values returned by the formula.
See a few examples of SUM and IF function combinations in an earlier section Count how often multiple text or number values occur by using the SUM and IF functions together in this topic.
Counting unique occurrences of values
You can count unique values in a range by using a PivotTable, COUNTIF function, SUM and IF functions together, or the Advanced Filter dialog box.
Count the number of unique values in a list column by using Advanced Filter
Use the Advanced Filter dialog box to find the unique values in a column of data. You can either filter the values in place or you can extract and paste them to a new location. Then you can use the ROWS function to count the number of items in the new range.
To use Advanced Filter, click the Data tab, and in the Sort & Filter group, click Advanced.
The following figure shows how you use the Advanced Filter to copy only the unique records to a new location on the worksheet.
In the following figure, column E contains the values that were copied from the range in column D.
If you filter your data in place, values are not deleted from your worksheet — one or more rows might be hidden. Click Clear in the Sort & Filter group on the Data tab to display those values again.
If you only want to see the number of unique values at a quick glance, select the data after you have used the Advanced Filter (either the filtered or the copied data) and then look at the status bar. The Count value on the status bar should equal the number of unique values.
Count the number of unique values in a range that meet one or more conditions by using IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions
Use various combinations of the IF, SUM, FREQUENCY, MATCH, and LEN functions.
For more information and examples, see the section «Count the number of unique values by using functions» in the article Count unique values among duplicates.
Special cases (count all cells, count words)
You can count the number of cells or the number of words in a range by using various combinations of worksheet functions.
Count the total number of cells in a range by using ROWS and COLUMNS functions
Suppose you want to determine the size of a large worksheet to decide whether to use manual or automatic calculation in your workbook. To count all the cells in a range, use a formula that multiplies the return values using the ROWS and COLUMNS functions. See the following image for an example:
Count words in a range by using a combination of SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions
You can use a combination of the SUM, IF, LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions in an array formula. The following example shows the result of using a nested formula to find the number of words in a range of 7 cells (3 of which are empty). Some of the cells contain leading or trailing spaces — the TRIM and SUBSTITUTE functions remove these extra spaces before any counting occurs. See the following example:
Now, for the above formula to work correctly, you have to make this an array formula, otherwise the formula returns the #VALUE! error. To do that, click on the cell that has the formula, and then in the Formula bar, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Excel adds a curly bracket at the beginning and the end of the formula, thus making it an array formula.
For more information on array formulas, see Overview of formulas in Excel and Create an array formula.
Displaying calculations and counts on the status bar
When one or more cells are selected, information about the data in those cells is displayed on the Excel status bar. For example, if four cells on your worksheet are selected, and they contain the values 2, 3, a text string (such as «cloud»), and 4, all of the following values can be displayed on the status bar at the same time: Average, Count, Numerical Count, Min, Max, and Sum. Right-click the status bar to show or hide any or all of these values. These values are shown in the illustration that follows.
Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.
Источник
How to Count the Number of Rows in Excel?
Here are the different ways of counting rows in Excel using the formula, rows with data, empty rows, rows with numerical values, rows with text values, and many other things related to counting the number of rows in Excel.
You can download this Count Rows Excel Template here – Count Rows Excel Template
Table of contents
- How to Count the Number of Rows in Excel?
- #1 – Excel Count Rows which has only the Data
- #2 – Count all the rows that have the data
- #3 – Count the rows that only have the numbers
- #4 – Count Rows, which only has the Blanks
- #5 – Count rows that only have text values
- #6 – Count all of the rows in the range
- Things to Remember
- Recommended Articles
#1 – Excel Count Rows which has only the Data
Firstly, we will see how to count the number of rows in Excel with the data. There could be empty rows between the data, but we often need to ignore them and find exactly how many rows contain the data in it.
- We can count the number of rows with data by selecting the range of cells in Excel. For example, take a look at the below data.
We have a total of 10 rows (border inserted area). In this 10 row, we want to count exactly how many cells have data. Since this is a small list of rows, we can easily calculate the number of rows. But when it comes to the huge database, it is impossible to count manually. So, this article will help you with this.
- Firstly, we must select all the rows in Excel.
- It is not telling us how many rows contain the data here. Instead, look at the Excel screen’s right-hand side bottom, i.e., a status bar.
Take a look at the red circled area. It says COUNT as 8, which means that out of 10 selected rows, 8 have data.
- Now, we will select one more row in the range and see what the count will be.
- We have selected 11 rows, but the count says 9, whereas we have data only in 8 rows. When we closely examine the cells, the 11th row contains a space.
Even though there is no value in the cell and it has only space Excel will be treated as the cell which contains the data.
#2 – Count all the rows that have the data
We know how to check how many rows contain the data quickly. But that is not the dynamic way of counting rows that have data. Instead, we need to apply the COUNTA function to count how many rows contain the data.
We will apply the COUNTA function in the D3 cell.
So, the total number of rows containing the data is 8 rows. Even this formula treats space as data.
#3 – Count the rows that only have the numbers
Here we want to count how many rows contain only numerical values.
We can easily say 2 rows contain numerical values. Let us examine this by using a formula. We have a built-in formula called COUNT which counts only numerical values in the supplied range.
We will apply the COUNT function in cell B1 and select the range as A1 to A10.
The COUNT function also says 2 as a result. So, out of 10 rows, only rows contain numerical values.
#4 – Count Rows, which only has the Blanks
We can find only blank rows by using the COUNTBLANK function in Excel.
We have 2 blank rows in the selected range, which are revealed by the count blank function.
#5 – Count rows that only have text values
Remember, we do not have any straight in the COUNTTEXT function. Unlike in previous cases, we need to think differently here. We can use the COUNTIF functionThe COUNTIF function in Excel counts the number of cells within a range based on pre-defined criteria. It is used to count cells that include dates, numbers, or text. For example, COUNTIF(A1:A10,”Trump”) will count the number of cells within the range A1:A10 that contain the text “Trump”
read more with a wildcard character asterisk (*).
Here all the magic is done by the wildcard character asterisk (*). It matches any of the alphabets in the row and returns the result as a text value row. Even if the row contains numerical and text values, it will be treated as text value only.
#6 – Count all of the rows in the range
Now comes the important part. How do we count how many rows we have selected? One uses the Name Box in excel, which is limited while still choosing the rows. But how do we measure then?
We have a built-in ROWS formula, which returns how many rows are selected.
Things to Remember
- Even space is treated as a value in the cell.
- If the cell contains numerical and text values, it will be treated as a text value.
- ROW may return the current row we are in, but ROWS will return how many are in the supplied range even though there is no data in the rows.
Recommended Articles
This article has been a guide to Count Rows in Excel. Here, we discuss the top 6 ways of counting rows in Excel using the formula: rows with data, empty rows, rows with numerical values, rows with text values, and many other things related to counting rows in Excel and practical examples and downloadable Excel templates. You may learn more about Excel from the following articles: –
- VBA COUNTIF
- Add Multiple Rows in Excel
- Excel Count Formula
- How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel?
Excel Row Count (Table of Contents)
- Introduction to Row Count in Excel
- How to Count the Rows in Excel?
Introduction to Row Count in Excel
Excel provides many built-in functions through which we can do multiple calculations. We can also count the rows and columns in Excel. Here in this article, we will discuss the Row Count in Excel. If we want to measure the rows which contain data, select all the cells of the first column by clicking on the column header. It will display the row count on the status bar in the lower right corner.
Let’s take some values in the Excel sheet.
Select the entire column which contains data. Now click on the column label for counting the rows; it will show you the row count. Refer to the below screenshot:
There are two types of functions for counting the rows.
- ROW()
- ROWS()
The ROW() function gives you the row number of a particular cell.
The ROWS() function gives you the count of rows in a range.
How to Count the Rows in Excel?
Let’s take some examples to understand the usage of ROWS functions.
You can download this Row Count Excel Template here – Row Count Excel Template
Example #1
We have given the below employee data.
For counting the rows here, we will use the below function here:
=ROWS(range)
Where range = a range of cells containing data.
Now we will apply the above function like the below screenshot:
Which returns the number of rows containing the data in the supplied range.
The final result is given below:
Example #2
We have given below some student marks subject-wise.
As we can see in the above dataset, certain information is absent.
As per the screenshot below, we will apply the ROWS function for counting the rows containing data.
The final result is given below:
Example #3
We have given the below data values.
We will pass the range of data values within the function for counting the number of rows.
Apply the function like the below screenshot:
Press ENTER key here, and it will return the count of rows.
The final result is shown below:
Explanation:
When we pass the range of cells, it gives you the count of cells you selected.
Example #4
We have given below product details:
Now we will pass the range of the given dataset within the function like the below screenshot:
Press ENTER key, which will give you the count of rows containing data in the passing range.
The final result is given below:
Example #5
We have given some raw data.
Some cell values are missing here, so now, for counting the rows, we will apply the function shown in the below screenshot:
Hit the Enter key, and it will return the count of rows having data.
The final result is given below:
Example #6
We have given a company employee data where some details are missing:
Now apply the ROWS function to count the row containing data of employees:
Hit the Enter key to get the final rows
Things to Remember About Row Count in Excel
- When you click on the column heading for counting the rows, it will give you the count which contains data.
- If you pass a range of cells, it will return the number of cells that you have selected.
- The status bar won’t show you anything if the column contains the data only in one cell. That is, the status bar stays blank.
- If the data are given in the table form, then for counting the rows, you can pass the table range within the ROWS function.
- You can also do the setting of the message in the status bar. Do right-click on the status bar and click the item you want to see or remove.
Recommended Articles
This article has been a guide to Row Count in Excel. Here we discussed How to Count the Rows, practical examples, and a downloadable Excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles–
- COUNTA Function in Excel
- Count Function in Excel
- ROWS Function in Excel
- Add Rows in Excel Shortcut
I want to count empty (or non-blank) rows in a given column (or range).
Example: I have a column which is spaning over 4 cells width, and each cell has either a single »x» or is empty. There is up to 100 rows under this column. Here’s a picture to clarify:
CallumDA
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asked Sep 21, 2016 at 14:04
The COUNTA()
function will do that for you. For example:
=COUNTA(A1:A100)
Will return the number of non-blank cells in the range A1:A100
answered Sep 21, 2016 at 14:11
CallumDACallumDA
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4
You can use array formula. For example, to count the first 10 rows starting from row 2.
=SUM((COUNTBLANK(OFFSET(B2,ROW(1:10)-1,0,1,4))=4)*1)
To count the first 100 rows:
=SUM((COUNTBLANK(OFFSET(B2,ROW(1:100)-1,0,1,4))=4)*1)
answered Oct 12, 2017 at 8:44
kelvin 004kelvin 004
4132 silver badges7 bronze badges
Use a new column to get the number of blank cells in each row, then count the number of row in this column which are equal to 4.
Or, more simply, write =QUOTIENT(COUNTBLANK(B2:E2);4)
in F2, pull the cell down, then write =SUM(F2:F101)
in G2.
If there is exactly 4 blank cell in a row, the F cell will have a value of 1 and the sum will just add all of these 1 to get the number of empty rows.
answered May 31, 2017 at 13:01
Author: Oscar Cronquist Article last updated on January 08, 2023
The COUNTIF function is very capable of counting non-empty values, I will show you how in this article. Excel can also highlight empty cells using Conditional formatting.
I will discuss and demonstrate the limitations of using the COUNTIF function and other equivalent functions that you also can use.
What’s on this page
- Count not blank cells — COUNTIF function
- Count not blank cells — COUNTA function
- COUNTIF and COUNTA function return unexpected results
- Count not blank cells — SUMPRODUCT function
- Get Excel *.xlsx file
1. Count not blank cells — COUNTIF function
Column B above has a few blank cells, they are in fact completely empty.
Formula in cell D3:
=COUNTIF(B3:B13,»<>»)
The first argument in the COUNTIF function is the cell range where you want to count matching cells to a specific value, the second argument is the value you want to count.
COUNTIF(range, criteria)
In this case, it is «<>» meaning not equal to and then nothing, so the COUNTIF function counts the number of cells that are not equal to nothing. In other words, cells that are not empty.
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2. Count not blank cells — COUNTA function
The COUNTA function is even easier to use, you don’t need to enter more than the cell range in one argument. The COUNTA function is designed to count non-empty cells.
COUNTA(value1, [value2], …)
Formula in cell D4:
=COUNTA(B3:B13)
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3. COUNTIF and COUNTA function return unexpected results
There are, however, situations where the COUNTIF and COUNTA function return unexpected results if you are not aware of how they work.
There are blank cells in column C, shown in the picture above, that look empty but they are not. Column D shows what they actually contain and column E shows the character length of the content.
Cell C5 and C9 contain a formula that returns a blank, both the COUNTIF and the COUNTA function count those cells as non-empty.
Cell C8 has two space characters and cell C12 has one space character, column E reveals their existence by counting character length. The COUNTIF and the COUNTA function count those cells as non-empty as well.
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4. Count not blank cells — SUMPRODUCT function
The following formula counts all non-empty values in cell range C3:C13 except formulas that return nothing. It checks if the values in cell range C3:C13 are not equal to nothing.
Formula in cell B16:
=SUMPRODUCT((C3:C13<>»»)*1)
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4.1 Explaining formula in cell B16
Step 1 — Check if cells are not empty
In this case, the logical expression counts cells that contain space characters but not formulas that return nothing.
The less than and the greater than characters are logical operators, the result are always boolean values.
C3:C13<>»»
returns
{TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE}
Step 2 — Convert boolean values
The SUMPRODUCT function can’t sum boolean values, we need to multiply with one to create an array containing 0’s (zero) and 1’s.
They are their numerical equivalents:
True = 1
FALSE = 0 (zero)
(C3:C13<>»»)*1
becomes
{TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE}*1
and returns
{1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 1; 1}
Step 3 — Sum numbers
Why use the SUMPRODUCT function and not the SUM function? The SUMPRODUCT function can perform calculations in the arguments without the need to enter the formula as an array formula.
Array formulas are great but if possible avoid as much as you can. Excel 365 users don’t have this problem, dynamic array formulas are entered as regular formulas.
SUMPRODUCT((C3:C13<>»»)*1)
becomes
SUMPRODUCT({1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 1; 1})
and returns 9 in cell B16.
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5. Regard formulas that return nothing to be blank and space characters to also be blank
The formula above in cell C16 counts only non-empty values, it considers formulas that return nothing to be blank and space characters to also be blank. This is made possible by the TRIM function that removes leading and ending space characters.
=SUMPRODUCT((TRIM(C3:C13)<>»»)*1)
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5.1 Explaining formula in cell B16
Step 1 — Remove space characters
TRIM(C3:C13)
returns
{«Green»; «Blue»; «»; «Red»; «Cyan»; «»; «»; «Yellow»; «Orange»; «»; «Brown»}
Step 2 — Identify not blank cells
TRIM(C3:C13)<>»»
becomes
{«Green»; «Blue»; «»; «Red»; «Cyan»; «»; «»; «Yellow»; «Orange»; «»; «Brown»}<>»»
and returns
{TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE}
Step 3 — Multiply with 1
TRIM(C3:C13)<>»»)*1
becomes
{TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE}*1
and returns
{1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 0; 0; 1; 1; 0; 1}
Step 4 — Sum numbers in array
SUMPRODUCT((TRIM(C3:C13)<>»»)*1)
becomes
SUMPRODUCT({1; 1; 0; 1; 1; 0; 0; 1; 1; 0; 1})
and returns 7.
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Latest updated articles.
More than 300 Excel functions with detailed information including syntax, arguments, return values, and examples for most of the functions used in Excel formulas.
More than 1300 formulas organized in subcategories.
Excel Tables simplifies your work with data, adding or removing data, filtering, totals, sorting, enhance readability using cell formatting, cell references, formulas, and more.
Allows you to filter data based on selected value , a given text, or other criteria. It also lets you filter existing data or move filtered values to a new location.
Lets you control what a user can type into a cell. It allows you to specifiy conditions and show a custom message if entered data is not valid.
Lets the user work more efficiently by showing a list that the user can select a value from. This lets you control what is shown in the list and is faster than typing into a cell.
Lets you name one or more cells, this makes it easier to find cells using the Name box, read and understand formulas containing names instead of cell references.
The Excel Solver is a free add-in that uses objective cells, constraints based on formulas on a worksheet to perform what-if analysis and other decision problems like permutations and combinations.
An Excel feature that lets you visualize data in a graph.
Format cells or cell values based a condition or criteria, there a multiple built-in Conditional Formatting tools you can use or use a custom-made conditional formatting formula.
Lets you quickly summarize vast amounts of data in a very user-friendly way. This powerful Excel feature lets you then analyze, organize and categorize important data efficiently.
VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications and is a computer programming language developed by Microsoft, it allows you to automate time-consuming tasks and create custom functions.
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Watch Video – 7 Quick and Easy Ways to Number Rows in Excel
When working with Excel, there are some small tasks that need to be done quite often. Knowing the ‘right way’ can save you a great deal of time.
One such simple (yet often needed) task is to number the rows of a dataset in Excel (also called the serial numbers in a dataset).
Now if you’re thinking that one of the ways is to simply enter these serial number manually, well – you’re right!
But that’s not the best way to do it.
Imagine having hundreds or thousands of rows for which you need to enter the row number. It would be tedious – and completely unnecessary.
There are many ways to number rows in Excel, and in this tutorial, I am going to share some of the ways that I recommend and often use.
Of course, there would be more, and I will be waiting – with a coffee – in the comments area to hear from you about it.
How to Number Rows in Excel
The best way to number the rows in Excel would depend on the kind of data set that you have.
For example, you may have a continuous data set that starts from row 1, or a dataset that start from a different row. Or, you might have a dataset that has a few blank rows in it, and you only want to number the rows that are filled.
You can choose any one of the methods that work based on your dataset.
1] Using Fill Handle
Fill handle identifies a pattern from a few filled cells and can easily be used to quickly fill the entire column.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to quickly number the rows using the fill handle:
Note that Fill Handle automatically identifies the pattern and fill the remaining cells with that pattern. In this case, the pattern was that the numbers were getting incrementing by 1.
In case you have a blank row in the dataset, fill handle would only work till the last contiguous non-blank row.
Also, note that in case you don’t have data in the adjacent column, double-clicking the fill handle would not work. You can, however, place the cursor on the fill handle, hold the right mouse key and drag down. It will fill the cells covered by the cursor dragging.
2] Using Fill Series
While Fill Handle is a quick way to number rows in Excel, Fill Series gives you a lot more control over how the numbers are entered.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to use Fill Series to number rows in Excel:
This will instantly number the rows from 1 to 26.
Using ‘Fill Series’ can be useful when you’re starting by entering the row numbers. Unlike Fill Handle, it doesn’t require the adjacent columns to be filled already.
Even if you have nothing on the worksheet, Fill Series would still work.
Note: In case you have blank rows in the middle of the dataset, Fill Series would still fill the number for that row.
3] Using the ROW Function
You can also use Excel functions to number the rows in Excel.
In the Fill Handle and Fill Series methods above, the serial number inserted is a static value. This means that if you move the row (or cut and paste it somewhere else in the dataset), the row numbering will not change accordingly.
This shortcoming can be tackled using formulas in Excel.
You can use the ROW function to get the row numbering in Excel.
To get the row numbering using the ROW function, enter the following formula in the first cell and copy for all the other cells:
=ROW()-1
The ROW() function gives the row number of the current row. So I have subtracted 1 from it as I started from the second row onwards. If your data starts from the 5th row, you need to use the formula =ROW()-4.
The best part about using the ROW function is that it will not screw up the numberings if you delete a row in your dataset.
Since the ROW function is not referencing any cell, it will automatically (or should I say AutoMagically) adjust to give you the correct row number. Something as shown below:
Note that as soon as I delete a row, the row numbers automatically update.
Again, this would not take into account any blank records in the dataset. In case you have blank rows, it will still show the row number.
You can use the following formula to hide the row number for blank rows, but it would still not adjust the row numbers (such that the next row number is assigned to the next filled row).
IF(ISBLANK(B2),"",ROW()-1)
4] Using the COUNTA Function
If you want to number rows in a way that only the ones that are filled get a serial number, then this method is the way to go.
It uses the COUNTA function that counts the number of cells in a range that are not empty.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Note that there are blank rows in the above-shown dataset.
Here is the formula that will number the rows without numbering the blank rows.
=IF(ISBLANK(B2),"",COUNTA($B$2:B2))
The IF function checks whether the adjacent cell in column B is empty or not. If it’s empty, it returns a blank, but if it’s not, it returns the count of all the filled cells till that cell.
5] Using SUBTOTAL For Filtered Data
Sometimes, you may have a huge dataset, where you want to filter the data and then copy and paste the filtered data into a separate sheet.
If you use any of the methods shown above so far, you will notice that the row numbers remain the same. This means that when you copy the filtered data, you will have to update the row numbering.
In such cases, the SUBTOTAL function can automatically update the row numbers. Even when you filter the data set, the row numbers will remain intact.
Let me show you exactly how it works with an example.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
If I filter this data based on Product A sales, you will get something as shown below:
Note that the serial numbers in Column A are also filtered. So now, you only see the numbers for the rows that are visible.
While this is the expected behavior, in case you want to get a serial row numbering – so that you can simply copy and paste this data somewhere else – you can use the SUBTOTAL function.
Here is the SUBTOTAL function that will make sure that even the filtered data has continuous row numbering.
=SUBTOTAL(3,$B$2:B2)
The 3 in the SUBTOTAL function specifies using the COUNTA function. The second argument is the range on which COUNTA function is applied.
The benefit of the SUBTOTAL function is that it dynamically updates when you filter the data (as shown below):
Note that even when the data is filtered, the row numbering update and remains continuous.
6] Creating an Excel Table
Excel Table is a great tool that you must use when working with tabular data. It makes managing and using data a lot easier.
This is also my favorite method among all the techniques shown in this tutorial.
Let me first show you the right way to number the rows using an Excel Table:
Note that in the formula above, I have used Table2, as that is the name of my Excel table. You can replace Table2 with the name of the table you have.
There are some added benefits of using an Excel Table while numbering rows in Excel:
- Since Excel Table automatically inserts the formula in the entire column, it works when you insert a new row in the Table. This means that when you insert/delete rows in an Excel Table, the row numbering would automatically update (as shown below).
- If you add more rows to the data, Excel Table would automatically expand to include this data as a part of the table. And since the formulas automatically update in the calculated columns, it would insert the row number for the newly inserted row (as shown below).
7] Adding 1 to the Previous Row Number
This is a simple method that works.
The idea is to add 1 to the previous row number (the number in the cell above). This will make sure that subsequent rows get a number that is incremented by 1.
Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:
Here are the steps to enter row numbers using this method:
- In the cell in the first row, enter 1 manually. In this case, it’s in cell A2.
- In cell A3, enter the formula, =A2+1
- Copy and paste the formula for all the cells in the column.
The above steps would enter serial numbers in all the cells in the column. In case there are any blank rows, this would still insert the row number for it.
Also note that in case you insert a new row, the row number would not update. In case you delete a row, all the cells below the deleted row would show a reference error.
These are some quick ways you can use to insert serial numbers in tabular data in Excel.
In case you are using any other method, do share it with me in the comments section.
You May Also Like the Following Excel Tutorials:
- Delete Blank Rows in Excel (with and without VBA).
- How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel (4 Methods).
- How to Split Multiple Lines in a Cell into a Separate Cells / Columns.
- 7 Amazing Things Excel Text to Columns Can Do For You.
- Highlight EVERY Other ROW in Excel.
- How to Compare Two Columns in Excel.
- Insert New Columns in Excel