MINA Function

Excel Functions › Statistical

All versions Statistical

The Excel MINA function returns the smallest value in a set, like MIN, but it also counts logical values and text — TRUE evaluates to 1, FALSE and text to 0.

Quick answer:
=MINA({TRUE,2,3}) TRUE counts as 1, so min = 1

Syntax

=MINA(value1, [value2], ...)
ArgumentDescription
value1RequiredThe first value, cell reference, or range. Unlike MIN, logical values and text are evaluated, not ignored.
value2, ...OptionalUp to 254 additional values or ranges.

How to use it

MINA works like MIN, with one key difference: it does not skip logical values or text. TRUE is treated as 1, while FALSE and any text string count as 0.

=MINA({TRUE,2,3}) // TRUE = 1, so min = 1
=MINA({FALSE,2,3}) // FALSE = 0, so min = 0

That zero-counting behaviour is the gotcha: if a range contains text labels, MINA will likely return 0 because each text cell scores 0. When you only want true numeric minimums, use plain MIN instead.

Text becomes zero. Empty cells are still ignored, but a referenced cell containing text counts as 0 in MINA — an easy way to get an unexpected 0 as your minimum.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Pick a MINA example to see the formula and its result.

Result:

Practice workbook

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between MIN and MINA?
MIN ignores logical values and text inside a range; MINA evaluates them — TRUE counts as 1, and FALSE or text counts as 0. With purely numeric data the two give identical results.
Why does MINA return 0?
Almost certainly because the range contains a FALSE or a text string, both of which MINA scores as 0. If you don't want that, use MIN.
How does MINA treat TRUE and FALSE?
TRUE is evaluated as 1 and FALSE as 0. So =MINA({TRUE,2,3}) is 1 and =MINA({FALSE,2,3}) is 0.
Does MINA count empty cells?
No. Truly empty cells are still ignored. Only logical values and text strings get the 1/0 treatment — blanks do not.

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Related functions: MIN · MAXA · MAX · MINIFS · AVERAGEA · MEDIAN