Excel COUNTIF Example (Table of Contents)
Excel COUNTIF Examples
Excel COUNTIF Example counts the cells that meet certain criteria or conditions. It can be used to count cells that match specific criteria with text, numbers or dates. By referring to some COUNTIF examples in Excel, you can understand the use and implantation of COUNTIF Function.
Syntax of COUNTIF Example in Excel
The Syntax of COUNTIF Function includes 2 parameters. Before we apply COUNTIF, first let’s see the syntax of COUNTIF Function in Excel as shown below;
Range = It is the range which we need to select from where we will be getting the count.
Criteria = Criteria should be any exact word or number which we need to count.
The return value of COUNTIF in Excel is a positive number. The value can be zero or non-zero.
How to implement Excel COUNTIF Examples?
Using the COUNTIF Function in Excel is very easy. Let’s understand the working of COUNTIF Function in Excel by some examples given below.
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Excel COUNTIF Example – Illustration #1
COUNTIF function in excel is used for counting any kind of cell content in selected range data. The selected cells may contain numbers or text. Here we have a list of some products which are repeating multiple times. Now we need to check, how many times a product gets repeated.
As we can see in the above screenshot. We have some product types and besides that, we have chosen a cell for counting cell of specific product type.
For applying the COUNTIF Function example, go to the cell where we need to see output and type “=” (Equal) sign to enable all the inbuilt functions of excel. Now type COUNTIF and select it.
Range = Select the range as A2:A18.
Criteria = For text let’s select the criteria as Mobile in inverted commas (” “) it is a text.
As we can see below screenshot, how our applied COUNTIF final formula will look like. Blue colored cells are our range value and in inverted commas, Mobile is our criteria to be calculated.
Once we press the Enter key, we will get applied formula as shown below.
As we can see the count of product type Mobile is coming as 5. Which are also highlighted in Yellow color in the above screenshot.
We can test different criteria to check the correctness of the applied formula.
Excel COUNTIF Example – Illustration #2
There is one more method of applying COUNTIF Function in Excel. For this, put the cursor to the cell where we need to apply COUNTIF and then go to Formula menu tab and click on Insert Function as shown in the below screenshot.
Once we click on it, we will get the Insert Function box which has all the list of inbuilt functions of excel as shown below. From the tab Or select a category, choose All to get the list of all functions.
And from Select a function box, select COUNTIF and click on OK. Or else type COUNTIF or keyword related to this find related functions in Search for a function box.
After that, we will see function argument box, where we need to select the same range as we did in Illustration #1 but with different criteria as Desktop and click on OK.
If the formula is correct then we will see the formula result in Function arguments box itself, as highlighted. After that, we will get the result in the output cell as shown below.
As we can see in the above screenshot the count of Desktop is coming as 4. Which are also highlighted in Yellow color in the above screenshot?
For this process also we can test different criteria to check the correctness of applied formula.
This is how the COUNTIF function is used for calculating the numbers or words which are repeating multiple time. This is quite helpful where the data is so huge that we could not be able to apply filters.
Excel COUNTIF Example – Illustration #3
Let’s see one more example of COUNTIF Function in Excel. We have a list of some students where student marks of Subject X and Subject Y are mentioned in columns B and C. Now with the help of COUNTIF Function Example we will see, how many students got 19 Marks out of 20.
For this go to the cell where we need to see the output. Type = (Equal) sign and search for COUNTIF function and select it as shown below.
Now select the range. Here, as we have two columns where we can count the values, so we will select column B and C from cell B2 to B6. By this, we will be covering the B2 to C6 cells range. Now for the criteria, type 19 in inverted commas as shown below.
After that press the Enter key to apply the formula, as shown below.
As we can see in the above screenshot, the COUNTIF function counted that only 2 students got marks which is 19 in any of the subjects.
Here, by applying COUNTIF functions where the range is more than one column, the function itself checks the criteria in the whole selected range and gives the result. Now as per the above marks, Kane and Reema are those students who got 19 marks in one of the subjects. There could be cases where we could get 19 marks against single entry irrespective of the range selected, but the output will be the combined result of data available in the complete selected range.
Things to Remember
- The second parameter in the formula “Criteria” is case-insensitive.
- As a result, only the values that meet the criteria will be returned.
- If the wildcard characters are to be used as they are in the criteria, the tilde operator must precede them, i.e. ‘~? ‘, ‘ *‘.
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