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MIN vs SMALL: lowest value vs the nth lowest in Excel and Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=MIN(A2:A7)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Score |
| 45 |
| 80 |
| 30 |
| 95 |
| 60 |
| 75 |
=MIN(A2:A7)→30
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Step by step
- 1MIN(A2:A7) returns the lowest value — here 30.
- 2SMALL(A2:A7, 1) returns the same 30; SMALL(A2:A7, 2) returns the 2nd lowest, 45.
- 3Use MIN for the floor value and SMALL when you need a specific low rank.
Tips
- To ignore zeros, use MINIFS(range, range, "<>0") instead of plain MIN.
- SMALL errors if n exceeds the count of numbers in the range.
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Frequently asked
How do I find the lowest non-zero value?
Use MINIFS(A2:A7, A2:A7, "<>0"), or an array MIN(IF(A2:A7<>0, A2:A7)) entered with Ctrl+Shift+Enter in older Excel.