XL2000: Formula to Count the Number of Rows in Which an Item Appears

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This article was previously published under Q214079

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SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the FREQUENCY() function in a SUM(IF()) array formula to count the number of rows in which an item appears within a specified range.

To count how many rows in which a value appears in a specified range, use the following formula

=SUM(IF(FREQUENCY(IF(range=item,ROW(range)),
IF(range=item,ROW(range)))>0,1,0))

where range is the range that you want to search, and item is the number or text string that you want to find within each row. If you are searching for a text string, include quotation marks around both instances of item.

NOTE: The formulas discussed in this article must be entered as array formulas by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, to find out how many rows in which "XXX" appears within the following range

   A1: XXX         B1: XXX         C1: XXX
   A2: YYY         B2: XXX         C2: XXX
   A3: DDD         B3: DDD         C3: YYY
   A4: XXX         B4: YYY         C4: DDD

use the following array formula:

=SUM(IF(FREQUENCY(IF(A1:C4="XXX",ROW(A1:C4)),
IF(A1:C4="XXX",ROW(A1:C4)))>0,1,0))

This formula returns the value 3, indicating that "XXX" is contained in three rows of the range.