How one can Use the COUNTIF Perform in Excel

Excel can do extra than simply simple arithmetic. That is because of its bevy of built-in features and min-formulas that simplify the creation of extra advanced formulation.

In my decade-long expertise with Excel, I’ve discovered that one of many extra helpful features is the COUNTIF operate.

You should use COUNTIF to depend the variety of cells that include a particular worth or vary of values. It’s simpler to make use of COUNTIF than to manually depend your self.

How one can Use the COUNTIF Perform in Excel

The COUNTIF operate in Excel counts the variety of cells in a spread that meet the given standards. It doesn’t complete the cells; it merely counts them. I’ve discovered it helpful for counting cells that include a particular worth or vary of values.

For instance, let’s say you could have a spreadsheet that accommodates buyer contact data, together with avenue addresses and ZIP codes. You may simply use the COUNTIF operate to depend what number of prospects dwell in a given ZIP code — and also you don’t even need to type the addresses by ZIP code to do it.

Let’s work by means of the method step-by-step.

1. =COUNTIF()

Start by coming into the next into the cell the place you need to place the reply:

=COUNTIF()

For this instance, we’ll use a grocery listing that I’ve written. The totally different gadgets I need to purchase are sorted by sort, like greens and fruit.

2. Outline a spread of cells.

For the COUNTIF operate to work, it’s a must to enter two arguments between the parentheses — the vary of cells you’re taking a look at and the standards you need to match.

Place your cursor inside the parentheses and both manually enter the vary of cells (e.g., D1:D20) or use your mouse to focus on the vary of cells in your spreadsheet.

Assuming your ZIP code values are in column D from row 1 to row 20, the operate ought to now appear like this:

=COUNTIF(A2:A35)

3. Add a comma.

Subsequent, sort a comma after the vary, like this:

=COUNTIF(A2:A35,)

4. Outline your search standards.

You now have to enter the standards or worth that you simply need to depend after the comma, surrounded by citation marks.

In our instance, let’s say you’re trying to see what number of greens are in your listing. On this occasion, the standards you’re counting is Vegetable, and your operate ought to now appear like this:

=COUNTIF(A2:A35, “Vegetable“)

Be aware that your standards generally is a quantity (“10”), textual content (“Los Angeles”), or one other cell (C3). Nonetheless, when you reference one other cell, you don’t encompass it with citation marks. Standards usually are not case-sensitive, so you can enter “Crimson,” “crimson,” or “RED” and get the identical outcomes.

5. Activate the operate.

Press Enter, and the operate prompts, returning the variety of cells that match your argument.

Suggestions for Utilizing the COUNTIF Perform

Many customers, myself included, have found that you should use the COUNTIF operate in many alternative methods in addition to counting particular values. Listed below are three suggestions I like to recommend for extending using the COUNTIF operate.

Use wildcard characters for partial matches.

You don’t need to reference a particular worth or standards. If you happen to solely know a part of the worth you need to depend, you should use the * wildcard character to match any worth in that a part of the worth.

For instance, let’s say you could have an inventory of addresses. If you wish to match all ZIP codes that begin with the numbers 46 (equivalent to 46032, 46033, and 46450), you’ll enter 46 adopted by the * wildcard, like this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20,“46*“)

You should use the wildcard character at both the start or the tip of the worth string. For instance, to depend all cells that finish with the letters “polis,” enter the next:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20,“*polis“)

This may depend cells that include the cities of Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

Rely values which are better than or lower than a quantity.

If you happen to’re working with numbers, it’s possible you’ll need to depend cells with values better than or lower than a given worth. You do that through the use of the mathematical better than (>) and fewer than (<) indicators.

To depend all cells which have a worth better than a given quantity, equivalent to 10, enter this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20,“>10“)

To depend cells which are better than or equal to a quantity, enter this:

=COUNTIF(D!:D20“>=10“)

To depend all cells which have a worth lower than a given quantity, enter this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20“<10“)

To depend cells which have a worth lower than or equal to a given quantity, enter this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20“<=10“)

You may even depend cells with a worth not equal to a particular quantity. For instance, to depend cells that aren’t equal to the quantity 10, enter this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20“<>10“)

In all these situations, keep in mind that the standards, together with the lower than, better than, and equal indicators, should be enclosed inside citation marks.

Rely one worth OR one other.

The COUNTIF operate can be used to depend a number of standards—that’s, cells that include one worth or one other.

For instance, you may need to depend prospects who dwell in both Los Angeles or San Diego. You do that through the use of two COUNTIF features with a + between them, like this:

=COUNTIF(D1:D20,“Los Angeles“)+COUNTIF(D1:D20,“San Diego“)

So as to add much more values, enter one other + and COUNTIF operate.

If you wish to get much more out of Excel, take a look at our article on tips on how to use Excel like a professional. You’ll discover 29 highly effective suggestions, methods, and shortcuts that may make Excel even simpler to make use of.

Getting Began

If you happen to’re trying to depend the variety of gadgets that match particular standards, the COUNTIF operate is the best way to go. You can simply type on that column and manually depend the entries, however utilizing COUNTIF is an entire lot simpler.

Now, attempt it out and save your self a while.