Excel Functions: COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, COUNTIF, COUNTIFS

Excel file: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Excel functions are predefined formulas that perform specific calculations or data manipulations automatically. Instead of writing complex formulas from scratch, you can use built-in functions to simplify tasks such as mathematical operations, data analysis, text handling, date management, and logical tests.

Functions usually follow this format:


=FUNCTION_NAME(argument1, argument2, ...)

Each function accepts one or more arguments (cell references, numbers, or text) and returns a result.
For example:

`=SUM(A1:A10)` adds all numbers from A1 to A10.
`=AVERAGE(B2:B20)` calculates the mean value.
`=IF(C2=Male,"M","F")` performs a logical test and returns a value based on the result.

Excel offers hundreds of functions categorized into areas like:

Math & Trig (SUM, ROUND, PRODUCT)

Statistical (COUNT, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN)

Text (LEFT, RIGHT, CONCAT, TEXTJOIN)

Logical (IF, AND, OR, NOT)

Lookup & Reference (VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, XLOOKUP)

Date & Time (TODAY, NOW, DATEDIF)

Together, these functions help users analyze, summarize, and transform data efficiently, turning raw information into meaningful insights.


Now, let's consider the COUNT function and its different variations.

1. COUNT

Purpose:
Counts how many cells in a range contain numeric values only (ignores text, blanks, or logical values).

Syntax:

=COUNT(range)


Example (Donors.xlsx):
To count how many donors have entered a Donation Amount (£):


=COUNT(G2:G100)


Returns the number of donors with valid numeric donation entries.

Notes:

The COUNT function ignores blank cells and texts like “N/A.”

Works best for purely numerical columns (e.g., Donations, Age, Years Active).



2. COUNTA

Purpose:
Counts all non-empty cells (including text, numbers, dates, and logical values).

Syntax:


=COUNTA(range)


Example:
To count all donors who have an entry in the Name column:


=COUNTA(A2:A100)


Returns the number of filled rows (even if some donors didn’t donate yet).

Notes:

Counts both text and numbers.

Useful for checking total entries, not necessarily valid numeric ones.


3. COUNTBLANK

Purpose:
Counts how many cells in a range are empty.

Syntax:

=COUNTBLANK(range)

Example:
To count how many donors didn’t specify a Sector:


=COUNTBLANK(D2:D100)


Returns the number of missing sector entries.

Notes:

Treats formulas returning an empty string (`""`) as blanks.

Useful for spotting incomplete records.


4. COUNTIF

Purpose:
Counts the number of cells in a range that meet one specific condition.

Syntax:


=COUNTIF(range, criteria)


Example
Count how many donors are from the “Education” sector:


=COUNTIF(D2:D100, "Education")


Example
Count how many donors gave £500:


=COUNTIF(G2:G100, "=500")


Notes:

Criteria can include wildcards (`*`, `?`).
Case-insensitive by default.
Great for quick conditional tallies.


5. COUNTIFS

Purpose:
Counts the number of cells that meet multiple conditions across different columns.

Syntax:

=COUNTIFS(range1, criteria1, range2, criteria2, ...)


Example
Count female donors who live in London:


=COUNTIFS(C2:C100, "Female", E2:E100, "London")


Notes:

All conditions must be true for a record to be counted.

More powerful and flexible than COUNTIF.

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