Lookup & Reference

Excel formula for Count rows or columns in a range

Return how many rows (or columns) a range spans.

Copy this formula

=ROWS(A2:A100)

How the formula works

ROWS counts the rows in a reference and COLUMNS counts the columns — regardless of whether cells are filled. They're useful for building dynamic formulas and checking array sizes.

Examples

=COLUMNS(A1:F1)→6

The range is six columns wide.

=ROWS(B5:B24)→20

B5 to B24 spans 20 rows.

=ROWS(A1:C10)*COLUMNS(A1:C10)→30

Total number of cells in a range of 10 rows and 3 columns.

FAQ

ROWS vs COUNTA — what's the difference?

ROWS counts the size of the reference; COUNTA counts how many cells actually contain data.

How do I count only the rows that contain data?

Use =COUNTA(A2:A100). It counts the non-empty cells, while ROWS counts every row in the reference.

How do I count the visible rows after filtering?

Use =SUBTOTAL(103, A2:A100). Function 103 counts non-empty cells and skips rows hidden by a filter.

What is the difference between ROW and ROWS?

ROW returns the row number of a cell, so =ROW(A5) is 5. ROWS returns how many rows a range contains.

Related formulas

Count blank or non-blank cells Generate a sequence of numbers

Functions used

ROWS COLUMNS COUNTA

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