MIN
Statistical
Returns the smallest number in a set of values. Ignores text and logical values.
Translations
EnglishMIN
FrenchMIN
SpanishMIN
GermanMIN
ItalianMIN
PortugueseMÍNIMO
DutchMIN
PolishMIN
RussianМИН
TurkishMİN
CzechMIN
HungarianMIN
SwedishMIN
DanishMIN
FinnishMIN
Syntax
MIN(number1, [number2], ...)Arguments
number1First number or rangenumber2Additional numbers or ranges(optional)
Examples
=MIN(A1:A10)Smallest value
Finds minimum in range
=MIN(5,10,3,8)3
Returns 3 as the smallest
=MIN(A1:A10,B1:B10)Min of both
Minimum across multiple ranges
Tips & Best Practices
- •Ignores text and logical values
- •Use MINA to include logical values
- •Returns 0 if no numbers found
Common Mistakes
- •Assuming MIN ignores zero the way it ignores blank cells - a genuine 0 in the range will be returned as the minimum
- •Using MIN on a range that contains an error value, which makes the entire formula return an error
- •Not realizing MIN ignores empty cells, so a range that looks like it should return 0 might actually return the smallest non-blank number instead
Related Functions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does MIN return 0 when I expected a positive number?
There's likely an actual 0 value somewhere in the range, or a cell that evaluates to 0 - MIN treats it as a legitimate value, not as blank.
Can MIN ignore zeros?
Not on its own. Use MINIFS(range,range,"<>0") to exclude zero values from the calculation.
Does MIN work across multiple sheets?
Yes - =MIN(Sheet1:Sheet3!A1) checks the same cell across a range of sheets.
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