Function guides ยท Statistical
MIN function
Returns the smallest number in a set.
Syntax
=MIN(number1, [number2], ...)
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
number1 | A number, cell reference, or range. |
number2, ... | Optional. Up to 255 more. |
What MIN does
MIN returns the smallest number in the values you give it. It is MAX turned upside down.
It reads ranges, single cells and typed numbers. Text, blank cells and logical values inside a range are skipped, and an empty range returns 0, which can look like a real answer.
Dates are numbers to Excel, so MIN also finds the earliest date, and the cell needs a date format to show it as one. For the lowest value that meets a condition, use MINIFS.
MIN and MAX are often used together to find the spread of a set of values: the highest minus the lowest. They also anchor scales and thresholds. A progress score can be rescaled with the lowest value as zero and the highest as 100, and a check that no price falls below cost is a MIN compared with a cost cell.
When you need the second-lowest or third-lowest value, SMALL takes a rank as its second argument. When the lowest value matters only inside a group, MINIFS filters first.
MIN examples
1. Lowest price in a list
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price |
| 2 | Stapler | 12.5 |
| 3 | Tape | 3.25 |
| 4 | Lamp | 34 |
| 5 | Pens | 9.5 |
| 6 | ||
| 7 | 3.25 |
MIN scans the range and returns the smallest number, 3.25. It reports the value only. To find which product has that price, combine it with INDEX and MATCH.
2. Earliest date
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order | Date |
| 2 | 1001 | 3/19/2026 |
| 3 | 1002 | 2/27/2026 |
| 4 | 1003 | 4/2/2026 |
| 5 | ||
| 6 | 02/27/2026 |
Dates are stored as numbers, so MIN returns the earliest. The result shows as a serial number unless the cell is formatted as a date. Here the format mm/dd/yyyy turns 46080 into a readable date.
3. Lowest value that meets a condition
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region | Sale |
| 2 | West | 450 |
| 3 | East | 120 |
| 4 | West | 275 |
| 5 | East | 310 |
| 6 | West | 620 |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | 275 |
MINIFS adds criteria. This finds the lowest sale in the West region and ignores the cheaper East row. MINIFS is in Excel 2019 and Microsoft 365.
Common MIN mistakes
- Zeros that are really blanks. A cell typed as 0 counts. If missing data was entered as zero, MIN returns 0. Leave missing cells empty or use MINIFS with ">0".
- Expecting the label. MIN returns the number only. Use INDEX and MATCH to bring back the name beside it.
- Numbers stored as text. Text values are ignored, so the true minimum can be missed. Convert them first.
- A date shown as a number. The result of MIN on dates is a serial number. Apply a date format to the cell.
- Using MIN on an empty range. It returns 0, which looks like real data. Confirm the range has numbers.
MIN on Excel job tests
"Find the lowest score" and "find the earliest order date" are the easy versions. A follow-up may ask for the name beside the minimum, or the minimum inside a group.
For the group version, MINIFS is the short route in Excel 2019 and Microsoft 365. For older versions, AGGREGATE(15,6,values/(range=value),1) returns the smallest match without array entry, and MIN(IF(...)) works if you confirm it with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
A date minimum shows as a five-digit number until you give the cell a date format. The number is right; the format is what is missing.
Related functions
MIN questions
- How do I find the second-lowest value?
- Use SMALL(range, 2). MIN only returns the lowest.
- Does MIN include zeros?
- Yes. A zero is a number and will be the minimum if no value is lower.
- How do I get the minimum with a condition?
- MINIFS(min_range, criteria_range, criteria) in Excel 2019 or later.
- What does MIN return for dates?
- The earliest date, as a serial number. Format the cell as a date to read it.
Practice MIN
Try it in a working grid: the free lesson MIN and MAX (module 4 of Excel from Zero) has checked MIN exercises.
Practice this function