Excel: Counting when not empty - here's how it works

Excel has several functions that allow you to perform calculations. If it is necessary for you to know the number of all cells in your spreadsheet that are not empty, we will explain in this article which formula allows you to do this.

Count when not empty: this Excel function exists

An Excel spreadsheet usually consists of a large number of cells with and without values. If you would like to know how many cells with content your file contains, Excel offers its own function for this purpose. This is called Number2 and ignores those that are empty when counting the cells.

1. To use the Number2 function, first use the mouse to select the table area in which you want to count.
2. Then select a so-called result cell, in which the number of non-empty cells is displayed to you.
3. To perform the calculation, now either enter the formula "COUNT2 (value 1: value2) in the result cell and confirm with "Enter" or use the menu bar.
4. To use the function via the menu bar, please navigate in the tab "Formulas" to "More functions" > "Statistics" > "Count2" and enter a range of values.

Excel: How to count only non-empty cells with numbers

The use of the function Count2 to count all non-empty cells is always suitable if the cells contain text data or error values in addition to numbers, which should also be counted. If, on the other hand, you know that the cells to be counted contain only numerical values, you can alternatively use the "Count" function. You can find this under "Formulas" > AutoSum > "Count".