Five ways to calculate the number of filled cells in Excel

In the process of working in the spreadsheet editor Excel, the user may need to count the number of cells with data. This can be useful in different cases, but the main thing is that this feature is in the program. This article will tell you how to calculate the number of filled cells with text in Excel. Moreover, there will be five options to choose from, so it is recommended to read the article to the end in order to choose the best for yourself.

Count cells

Before starting the story about how to calculate the number of filled cells in Excel, it is worth to outline the methods themselves. Firstly, you can use a special counter located on the status bar, but in some cases it will need to be turned on first. This will be described below. Secondly, you can use special functions. With their help, it is possible to carry out flexible adjustment of the calculation parameters. All this will be told right now.

Method 1: counter on the bottom panel

And we will start with instructions on how to calculate the number of filled cells in a column, row or in a certain range in Excel, which implies the use of a special counter. Perhaps this is the easiest method to complete the task.

In order to count cells, first of all, it is necessary to select the desired range. This is done simply - you need to hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor over the desired area. Immediately after that, the “Quantity” item will appear below, on the status bar , opposite which the number of data cells will be displayed. It should be noted that it appears only when you select more than two cells with any information.

It is also worth focusing on the fact that this option on the bottom panel can be turned off, although by default its display is provided. In any case, if after selecting a range of cells with data, the desired parameter does not appear, do the following manipulations:

1. Hover over the status bar.
2. Click the right mouse button.
3. In the menu that appears, check the box next to "Quantity".

Immediately after this, the corresponding option will be enabled and you can use it without any problems. This was the first way, in Excel, to count the number of filled cells in a row, column, or the whole range.

Method 2: ACCOUNTS function

You can also calculate the number of filled cells in Excel by the ACCOUNTS formula. In some cases, it is very useful. For example, it is perfect when the number of filled cells needs to be displayed directly in some cell. This way you can observe the changes in the readings immediately.

1. Select the cell in which the counting result will be displayed.
2. Click on the “Insert Function” button located to the left of the formula bar.
3. In the appeared window of the Function Wizard, find the “ACCOUNTS” line in the list, select it and click the “OK” button.
4. At the second stage, in the “Value” parameters indicate the area or areas in which the calculation will be carried out.
5. Click OK.

Immediately after that, the number of cells of the indicated areas in which any data is recorded will be displayed in the selected cell.

If desired, you can perform the same actions by entering the ACCOUNT function directly in the function line. Her syntax is as follows:

= COUNT (value1; value2; ...).

That is, you initially need to enter the name of the function (= COUNT), and then in parentheses through the semicolon, specify the range of cells in which you want to count.

Method 3: ACCOUNT function

Continuing to chew on the topic, how to calculate the number of cells in Excel, we touch on the ACCOUNT function. As you can understand, it is very similar to the previous one, however, it makes it possible to count cells in which only numerical values ​​are entered. Here's how to use it:

1. Select the cell on the sheet in which you want to display data.
2. Click the "Insert Function" button.
3. In the window that appears, select the ACCOUNT function from the list and click the OK button.
4. Before you, as last time, a window appears in which you need to enter values, that is, a range or several ranges of cells.
5. Having done this, click OK.

After performing all these actions, the number corresponding to the number of cells with numbers in the selected range will appear in the initially selected cell.

Method 4: COUNTIF function

This method of how to calculate the number of filled cells in Excel, again, involves working only with numerical data, but this time you can specify some conditions for performing the calculation. Let's now take a closer look at how to use the COUNTIF function:

1. As in the previous methods, position the cursor on the cell in which the function will be executed.
2. Call the Wizard for creating functions.
3. From the list, highlight the line “COUNTING” and press the “OK” button.
4. A fairly familiar window will appear in which you need to enter function variables. As you can see, in addition to the range, you need to specify a criterion. For example, you can enter "> 400". This will mean that those cells with values ​​greater than 400 will be counted.
5. Further you can specify more ranges and criteria for them.
6. At the end of entering the parameters, click the OK button.

As soon as you do this, the selected cell will display the number of cells with data matching the criteria.

Method 5: COUNTIF function

The last, fifth way, as in “Excel” to calculate the number of filled cells, is essentially the same as the previous one. It is used in cases where you need to calculate many variables. That is, you can specify 126 conditions. It makes no sense to provide detailed instructions on how to use the COUNTIF function, since it completely repeats the previous one.

So we figured out how to count cells with data. As can be noted, there are many ways. If you do not often need this, then it is best to use the counter on the bottom panel. If you need to examine the number of cells constantly, then you must use one of the four formulas above.