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This article describes the formula syntax and usage of the COUNTIFS function (function: A prewritten formula that takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a value or values. Use functions to simplify and shorten formulas on a worksheet, especially those that perform lengthy or complex calculations.) in Microsoft Office Excel.

Description

Applies criteria to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times all criteria are met.

Syntax

COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2]…)

The COUNTIFS function syntax has the following arguments (argument: A value that provides information to an action, an event, a method, a property, a function, or a procedure.):

• criteria_range1  Required. The first range in which to evaluate the associated criteria.
• criteria1  Required. The criteria in the form of a number, expression, cell reference, or text that define which cells will be counted. For example, criteria can be expressed as 32, ">32", B4, "apples", or "32".
• criteria_range2, criteria2, ...  Optional. Additional ranges and their associated criteria. Up to 127 range/criteria pairs are allowed.

   Important   Each additional range must have the same number of rows and columns as the criteria_range1 argument. The ranges do not have to be adjacent to each other.

Remarks

• Each range's criteria is applied one cell at a time. If all of the first cells meet their associated criteria, the count increases by 1. If all of the second cells meet their associated criteria, the count increases by 1 again, and so on until all of the cells are evaluated.
• If the criteria argument is a reference to an empty cell, the COUNTIFS function treats the empty cell as a 0 value.
• You can use the wildcard characters— the question mark (?) and asterisk (*) — in criteria. A question mark matches any single character, and an asterisk matches any sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before the character.

Example 1

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

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Example 2

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

How do I copy an example?