Excel COUNTA: count cells that are not empty

COUNTA counts cells that are not empty. Names, numbers, dates, errors — anything counts.

The formula

=COUNTA(A2:A100)

The count family

Everyday uses

• How many people are on the list: =COUNTA(A2:A500)
• How many answered: =COUNTA(C2:C50) out of =ROWS(C2:C50)
• Percent complete: =COUNTA(C2:C50)/ROWS(C2:C50), formatted as %.

Why COUNTA counts “empty” cells

A cell that looks blank may contain:

• a space — delete it or clean with TRIM;
• a formula returning "" — COUNTA counts it.

To count only cells with visible content: =SUMPRODUCT(--(LEN(TRIM(A2:A100))>0)).

Count non-empty with a condition

Rows in North where column C is filled: =COUNTIFS(A:A,"North",C:C,"<>"). See COUNTIFS.

Quick check without a formula

Select the column. The status bar at the bottom shows Count — that is COUNTA.