Totals and counts function
MIN
The smallest number.
Purpose
Find the smallest figure in a range
Returns
The smallest number, ignoring text and blanks
Syntax
=MIN(range1, [range2], ...)
| Argument | Required | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
range1 | Required | The cells to look at. |
range2 | Optional | The cells to look at. |
How to use MIN
MIN is MAX from the other end. On a ledger the small items are the ones worth writing off rather than chasing.
It is also how a cap is written: MIN of what is owed and what is authorised gives whichever is lower without an IF.
Over a date column held as text in the form 2026-10-31, MIN gives the earliest date.
Examples
Every result below is worked out by the same evaluator that marks your answers, on the sheet shown here.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invoice | Supplier | Status | Days overdue | Amount | Supplier | Terms (days) | |
| 2 | INV-8801 | Brightwell Paper | Overdue | 12 | 940 | Ashgrove Catering | 30 | |
| 3 | INV-8802 | Calder Utilities | Queried | 47 | 1180 | Brightwell Paper | 30 | |
| 4 | INV-8803 | Meridian Freight | Overdue | 63 | 2450 | Calder Utilities | 14 | |
| 5 | INV-8804 | Ashgrove Catering | On terms | 0 | 405 | Meridian Freight | 45 | |
| 6 | INV-8805 | Brightwell Paper | Overdue | 38 | 760 | Thornbury Print | 60 | |
| 7 | INV-8806 | Thornbury Print | Overdue | 91 | 1320 | |||
| 8 | INV-8807 | Meridian Freight | On terms | 0 | 580 | |||
| 9 | INV-8808 | Calder Utilities | Overdue | 24 | 215 |
| Formula | Result |
|---|---|
=MIN(E2:E9)The smallest invoice, which may be costing more to chase than it is worth. | 215 |
=MIN(E2,500)A cap written without an IF: whichever is lower, the invoice or the authorised limit. | 500 |
=MAX(E2:E9)-MIN(E2:E9)The spread of the ledger, from smallest item to largest. | 2235 |
Notes
- MIN ignores blanks, so an incomplete column gives the smallest of what is there rather than nought.
Related
Practise MIN in Unit 13
A reference tells you what it does. A unit makes you use it.