Sometimes, you just want to know how many entries are there in a list — like how many students submitted homework, or how many sales are recorded.
That’s where Excel COUNT & COUNTA functions help. They look similar, but do different things.
Let’s break it down simply, with 5 useful examples and a comparison table.
What Are COUNT and COUNTA?
COUNT: Counts only numbers in the selected range.
COUNTA: Counts everything — numbers, text, dates, symbols — except empty cells.
Syntax
=COUNT(value1, [value2], …)
=COUNTA(value1, [value2], …)
Example 1: Count Numbers in a Column
| A (Marks) |
|---|
| 85 |
| 92 |
| 77 |
| 60 |
Formula:
=COUNT(A1:A5)
👉 Result: 4
Note: It ignores the empty cell.
Example 2: Count Text and Numbers (Using COUNTA)
| A (Responses) |
|---|
| Yes |
| No |
| 123 |
| Maybe |
Formula:
=COUNTA(A1:A5)
👉 Result: 4
Note: COUNTA counts both text and numbers, but skips empty cells.
Example 3: Count How Many Cells Are Filled
| A (Data) |
|---|
| Apple |
| 50 |
| – |
| Done |
Formula:
=COUNTA(A1:A5)
👉 Result: 4
COUNTA counts Apple, 50, –, and Done — everything except the empty cell.
Note: Even symbols like - or * are counted.
Example 4: Count Entries in a Mixed Table
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Riya | 22 |
| Soham | |
| Aarav | 25 |
| 30 |
To count how many ages are entered: =COUNT(B2:B5) 👉 Result: 3
To count how many names are filled: =COUNTA(A2:A5) 👉 Result: 3
Example 5: Use with Non-Continuous Cells
You can even count values from separate cells.
=COUNT(A1, A3, A5)
or
=COUNTA(A1, A3, A5)
Note: Handy when only some cells matter to you.
COUNT vs COUNTA – Comparison Table
| Feature | COUNT | COUNTA |
|---|---|---|
| Counts Numbers | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Counts Text | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Counts Dates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Counts Symbols | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Counts Empty Cells | ❌ Skips | ❌ Skips |
| Best Use Case | When working with numbers only | When you need to count all entries |
Real-Life Use Cases
| Task | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Count how many prices are filled | COUNT | =COUNT(B2:B20) |
| Count total entries in a form | COUNTA | =COUNTA(A2:A100) |
| Count how many students submitted homework | COUNTA | =COUNTA(B2:B31) |
| Count only numerical scores | COUNT | =COUNT(C2:C10) |
Bonus Tip: Want to Count Blank Cells?
Try:
=COUNTBLANK(range)
Example:
=COUNTBLANK(A1:A10)
Note: It tells how many cells are empty in the selected range.
Summary
| Function | Counts | Ignores |
|---|---|---|
| COUNT | Only numbers | Text, blanks |
| COUNTA | Numbers, text, dates, symbols | Blanks |
Final Thoughts
Use COUNT when you care only about numbers, like sales or marks.
Use COUNTA when you want to know how many cells are filled — no matter what’s inside.
What’s Next?
In the next post, we’ll learn about the MIN & MAX Function.