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How to sum a range ignoring blanks in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:SUM & aggregationExcel & Google Sheets
=SUMIF(A2:A6,"<>",B2:B6)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Label | Value |
| Alpha | 100 |
| 50 | |
| Beta | 200 |
| Gamma | 80 |
| 30 |
=SUMIF(A2:A6,"<>",B2:B6)→380
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Step by step
- 1Identify the column that should be non-blank (e.g. column A, the category column) and the column to sum (e.g. column B).
- 2Enter =SUMIF(A2:A6,"<>",B2:B6). The "<>" criteria means "not equal to empty", so only rows with a value in column A are included.
- 3Press Enter. Rows where A is blank are excluded from the B total.
Tips
- =SUM(B2:B6) on its own also ignores blank cells in B, but SUMIF(A,"<>",B) lets you condition on a different column being non-blank.
- "<>" excludes true blanks and also cells containing only spaces if they evaluate to "". Cells with a zero-length string formula (="") are treated as non-blank by some engines — test your data.
- To sum only blank rows instead, use =SUMIF(A2:A6,"",B2:B6).
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Frequently asked
What is the difference between "<>" and "<>"""?
In SUMIF criteria, "<>" and "<>""" are equivalent — both mean not equal to an empty string.
How do I sum cells in B that are themselves non-blank?
=SUMIF(B2:B6,"<>") with only two arguments works because when the sum range is omitted SUMIF uses the criteria range as the sum range.
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