BeginnerCounting
Syntax
=COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
value1 | The cells or range to look through. |
Examples with results
Every result below is calculated by the practice engine on the sample data shown, not typed in by hand.
Office supplies sales (fictional)
| Row | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Qty | Unit price | Region | Date |
| 2 | Pen | 10 | 1.5 | North | 2025-01-15 |
| 3 | Notebook | 5 | 12 | South | 2025-02-03 |
| 4 | Pen | 20 | 1.5 | South | 2025-02-28 |
| 5 | Stapler | 2 | 40 | North | 2025-03-10 |
| 6 | Folder | 15 | 3.25 | East | 2025-03-22 |
| 7 | Notebook | 8 | 12 | East | 2025-04-05 |
| 8 | Pen | 12 | 1.5 | North | 2025-04-18 |
| 9 | Marker | 30 | 2 | South | 2025-05-02 |
=COUNT(B2:B9)How many quantities are numbers
=COUNT(A2:A9)The Item column is text, so the count is 0
Try it yourself
Change the formula or switch to other sample data.
Press Calculate to see the result.
The practice box runs in your browser with BDK’s own calculator, which covers about 60 common functions. Cell references work as in Excel (B2, B2:B9). Your formulas are not saved or sent anywhere. For anything unusual, check the result in Excel itself.
How people use COUNT at work
- Administration
How many amounts have been filled in?
Data: Customer invoices (fictional)=COUNT(C2:C6) - Education
How many students have a Maths score?
Data: Class scores (fictional)=COUNT(B2:B6)
Common mistakes and tips
- COUNT ignores text, even if it looks like a number. Use COUNTA to count anything that is not empty.
Works in
All versions of Excel, and Google Sheets.
Lessons that use it
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