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COUNT function in Excel counts the number of numeric values in the argument list. The most traditional way to use this function is to count the number of cells in Excel that contain numbers. For example, the following formula returns the number of cells in a range A1: E4, which contain numbers.
COUNT function syntax
COUNT(value1, [value2], …)
COUNT(value1, [value2], …)
Any values, references to cells and ranges, data arrays, as well as formulas and functions can serve as arguments to the COUNT function.
Meaning1 (value1) is a mandatory argument to the COUNT function, all other arguments are optional and can be omitted.
Starting with Excel 2007, you can use up to 255 arguments, each capable of holding a huge amount of data. In earlier versions of Excel (such as Excel 2003), the COUNT function only handled 30 arguments.
What values are considered numeric
In Microsoft Excel, COUNT function arguments can contain a wide variety of data, or refer to them. At the same time, it is important to understand which values the COUNT function accepts as numeric, and which ones it simply ignores.
- Numbers, dates, and times are always treated as numeric by the COUNT function.
- Blank cells, errors, and text that cannot be converted to numbers are ignored by the COUNT function.
- Boolean values, as well as textual representations of numbers (such as a number enclosed in quotation marks), are treated differently by the COUNT function. It all depends on where the value is stored: in a cell, an array, or entered directly into the argument list.
The table below shows which COUNT values count as numeric values and which do not.
Helpful information
- To count the number of nonblank cells in a range, use the COUNTA function.
- If you want to count the number of blank cells in Excel, use the COUNTBLANK function.
- To count the number of cells by condition, you can use the COUNTIF and COUNTIFS functions.
Examples of using the COUNT function in Excel
- The following formula counts the number of cells that contain numeric values. The calculation is carried out immediately in two ranges. Cells that are taken into account by the COUNT function are highlighted in red.
- This formula counts the number of numbers in the data array, which consists of three values. The COUNT function did not take into account the logical value and textual representation of the number.
- If these same three values are substituted directly for the function arguments, then all of them will be taken into account, and the result will be different.
