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COUNT

Counts the number of cells that contain numeric values in a range.

Quick Example​

=COUNT(A1:A10)

Returns the count of cells containing numbers in the range A1 through A10.

Syntax​

=COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)

Arguments​

  • value1 (required): The first value, cell reference, or range to count
  • value2, ... (optional): Additional values, cell references, or ranges to count (up to 255 arguments)

Examples​

Count Numbers in a Range​

=COUNT(A1:A5)

If A1:A5 contains [10, "text", 30, "", 50], returns 3 (counts only 10, 30, and 50)

Count Multiple Ranges​

=COUNT(A1:A5, C1:C5)

Counts all numeric values from both ranges

Mixed Direct Arguments​

=COUNT(5, 10, "text", 20)

Returns 3 (counts 5, 10, and 20; ignores "text")

Count with Direct Numbers​

=COUNT(100, 200, 300)

Returns 3

Empty Cells Are Ignored​

=COUNT(A1:A10)

Empty cells and text cells are not counted, only cells with numeric values

How It Works​

What Gets Counted​

In ranges:

  • Numeric values (numbers, dates, currency) are counted
  • Text values are ignored
  • Empty cells are ignored
  • Logical values (TRUE/FALSE) are ignored

Direct arguments:

  • Numbers are counted
  • Text is ignored
  • Empty arguments are ignored
  • Logical values are ignored

Difference from COUNTA​

COUNT only counts numeric values, while COUNTA counts all non-empty cells:

=COUNT(A1:A5)    // Counts only numbers
=COUNTA(A1:A5)   // Counts numbers, text, and any non-empty value

Common Use Cases​

Count Survey Responses​

=COUNT(B2:B100)

Count how many people provided numeric ratings in a survey

Calculate Average (Manual)​

=SUM(A1:A10)/COUNT(A1:A10)

Manually calculate average (same as AVERAGE function)

Validate Data Entry​

=IF(COUNT(A1:A10)=10, "Complete", "Incomplete")

Check if all 10 cells have numeric values

Count Completed Scores​

=COUNT(B2:B50)

Count how many test scores have been entered

Error Handling​

Error Propagation​

If any argument contains an error value, COUNT returns that error:

=COUNT(10, #DIV/0!, 30)

Returns #DIV/0!

Common Errors​

ErrorCauseSolution
#VALUE!Invalid argumentCheck that arguments are valid values or references
#REF!Invalid cell referenceVerify cell references exist
#NAME?Function name misspelledCheck spelling: =COUNT not =CONT

Technical Details​

Implementation Notes​

  • Supports up to 255 arguments
  • Only counts cells that contain actual numeric values
  • Does not coerce text to numbers in ranges
  • Dates and currency values are counted as numbers
  • Efficiently processes large ranges

Type Checking​

COUNT uses strict type checking for range values:

=COUNT(A1:A3)

Where A1=5, A2="10", A3=TRUE Returns 1 (only A1 is counted; "10" and TRUE are ignored)

Direct arguments work the same way:

=COUNT(5, "10", TRUE)

Returns 1 (only 5 is counted)

  • COUNTA - Count non-empty cells (includes text and numbers)
  • COUNTIF - Count cells that meet a criterion
  • COUNTIFS - Count cells that meet multiple criteria
  • SUM - Add all numbers in a range
  • AVERAGE - Calculate the average of numbers