MIN

Find the smallest number in a range or list of values with Excel's MIN function.

Statistical
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Excel All versions
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Google Sheets Supported

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Syntax

=MIN(number1, [number2, ...]) Returns: Number

Arguments

Argument Required Description
number1 Yes The first number, cell reference, or range you want to find the minimum of.
number2 No Additional numbers or ranges to include. You can add up to 255 arguments in total.

About

MIN returns the smallest number from the values you give it. You can pass a single range, a list of separate numbers, or a mix of both, and MIN scans them all to hand back the lowest one. It is the natural partner to MAX, which finds the largest value instead.

Use MIN whenever you need the bottom of a set: the lowest price in a quote list, the earliest date in a schedule, the smallest order in a month, or the fastest finish time in a race. Because dates and times are stored as numbers, MIN works on them too, so =MIN(B2:B20) finds the earliest date in a column just as easily as the smallest dollar amount.

When scanning a range, MIN ignores empty cells, text, and logical values, so it only compares real numbers. If you need the smallest value that meets a condition, use MINIFS, and to find the smallest number above zero or the second smallest, look at SMALL.

Examples

Text and blanks are skipped

See how MIN ignores text and empty cells in this regional sales list. Replace the 'N/A' with a number and watch the lowest value update.

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Empty range returns 0

Watch what happens when a range has no numbers yet: MIN returns 0, which can look like a real reading. Type in the weekly rainfall values to see the true minimum appear.

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Cap a value with MIN

Use MIN to set an upper limit. Each expense claim is capped at the 150 policy limit, so change a claim amount and see anything above 150 pulled back down.

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Watch out for

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Text numbers in a range are skipped

Numbers stored as text (like "150" with a leading apostrophe) are ignored when they sit inside a range, so MIN can return a value you did not expect.

→ Convert text to real numbers first, for example with VALUE, or use Excel's Text to Columns to clean the column before running MIN.

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An empty range returns 0

If none of the arguments contain numbers, MIN returns 0 rather than an error or a blank, which can look like a real minimum value.

→ Check that your range actually holds numbers. You can wrap MIN in IF with COUNT to show a custom message when the range is empty.

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You need the smallest value, not the smallest match

Plain MIN looks at every number in the range. It cannot filter to a category, region, or other condition on its own.

→ Use MINIFS to find the smallest value that meets one or more conditions, such as the lowest price for a single product.

Tips & notes

MIN ignores empty cells, text, and logical values inside a range, but logical values you type directly as arguments (like =MIN(TRUE, 5)) are counted, where TRUE acts as 1. If you want blanks and text in a range to count too, use MINA instead.

Common questions

Does MIN ignore blank cells?

Yes. When MIN scans a range, it skips empty cells, text, and logical values, so it only compares the real numbers it finds.

Why does MIN return 0 on my data?

MIN returns 0 when none of the cells in the range contain numbers. This often means the values are stored as text. Convert them to numbers and the correct minimum will appear.

Can MIN find the earliest date?

Yes. Dates are stored as numbers in Excel, so =MIN(B2:B20) returns the earliest date. Just format the result cell as a date to display it correctly.

How do I find the smallest value with a condition?

Use MINIFS instead of MIN. It returns the smallest number from cells that meet one or more criteria, such as the lowest sale for a specific region.