The MIN function in Excel
MIN finds the smallest number: the cheapest month, the lowest score, the earliest date. Text and empty cells are ignored.
It has a second, very practical use: =MIN(value,limit) caps a value, so it never goes above the limit.
Syntax
=MIN(number1, [number2], …)
| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
| number1 | The first number, cell or range. |
| number2, …optional | More numbers, cells or ranges. Up to 255. |
Examples
1. Smallest value in a column
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Month | Expenses |
| 2 | Jan | 820 |
| 3 | Feb | 760 |
| 4 | Mar | 905 |
| 5 | Apr | 690 |
| 6 | May | 845 |
| 7 | Lowest | 690 |
April was the cheapest month, with 690.
2. Across several columns
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Month | Store | Online | Weakest month | |
| 2 | Jan | 1200 | 450 | 450 | |
| 3 | Feb | 980 | 520 | ||
| 4 | Mar | 1310 | 610 |
The range can cover several columns: 450 online in January is the lowest of all six numbers.
3. Cap a value at a limit
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rep | Earned bonus | Paid (max 500) |
| 2 | Dana | 640 | 500 |
MIN picks whichever is smaller: 640 or 500. Bonuses below 500 are paid in full.
Common mistakes
MIN returns 0 unexpectedly. A cell in the range contains 0, often a placeholder for missing data.
Fix: Leave missing values empty; MIN ignores empty cells.
Numbers stored as text are ignored, so the result seems too high.
Fix: Convert them to real numbers first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the smallest value that meets a condition?
Use MINIFS, e.g. the cheapest order in the North region (Excel 2019 and newer).
How do I find the second smallest value?
Use =SMALL(B2:B6,2). SMALL returns the k-th smallest value.