Master SUMIF and SUMIFS in Excel: Complete Guide to Conditional Summing

Learn how to use SUMIF and SUMIFS in Excel for data analysis. Practical examples and step by step tutorials. Business analysis and financial reporting. Excel 2024.

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by Mihir Kamdar / Last Updated:

excel-sumif-function

What You'll Learn

After reading this guide, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to:

  • Master SUMIF for single criteria calculations
  • Learn SUMIFS for multi criteria analysis
  • Syntax and structure
  • Numeric and text based conditions
  • Overview of essential Excel functions for data analysis

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Download our step-by-step tutorial file now by clicking on the icon  download icon 1  below and follow along to enhance your Excel skills practically and efficiently!

Introduction

Conditional summing is a must have skill in data analysis. Whether you’re analyzing sales data, financial reports or business metrics, knowing SUMIF and SUMIFS will change your Excel life. This guide will show you how.

1. Excel SUMIF Function: Single Criteria Summing​

The SUMIF function is a conditional summing function that sums the values in a range of cells that meet a specified condition, known as the criteria argument.

The SUMIF function adds values that meet specified criteria, making it ideal for single-condition summing.

Basic Syntax

=SUMIF(Range, Criteria, Sum_Range)

 

Components:

  • Range: Where to look for the criteria
  • Criteria: The condition to match
  • Sum_Range: Values to add up if criteria matches

 

Example 1: Text-Based Criteria

=SUMIF(C2:C11, "Sub-Saharan Africa", M2:M11)
 
Using cell references instead of static text allows for more dynamic formulas, enabling easier adjustments to the criteria without rewriting the entire formula.

excel_sumif_function

Real-World Application:

  • Sum sales for specific regions
  • Calculate revenue by product category
  • Total expenses by department

Example 2: Numeric Criteria

=SUMIF(M2:M11, “>500000”, O2:O11)

Business Applications:

  • Total of high-value transactions
  • Sales above threshold
  • Large expenses
sumif 2 function scaled
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2. SUMIFS Function: Multiple Criteria Summing​

The Excel SUMIFS function is a powerful tool that allows you to sum cells based on multiple criteria. The SUMIFS function is a conditional summing function that sums the values in a range of cells that meet multiple criteria.

 

Advanced Syntax

=SUMIFS(Sum_Range, Criteria_Range1, Criteria1, Criteria_Range2, Criteria2)

Components:

  • Sum_Range: Values to total
  • Criteria_Range1: First condition range
  • Criteria1: First condition
  • Criteria_Range2: Second condition range
  • Criteria2: Second condition

 

When using the SUMIFS function, the actual question mark (?) can be used as a wildcard to match any single character, but if you need to search for an actual question mark in your data, you must escape it with a tilde (~).

Example

=SUMIFS(O2:O11, C2:C11, “Sub-Saharan Africa”, M2:M11, “>500000”)
excel_sumifs_function

Business Use Cases:

  • Regional sales above threshold
  • Department expenses within date range
  • Product sales by multiple categories
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3. SUMIF vs SUMIFS

  • Criteria Handling:

    • SUMIF: Single condition

    • SUMIFS: Multiple conditions

  • Syntax Structure:

    • SUMIF: Range before sum_range

    • SUMIFS: Sum_range comes first

  • Flexibility:

    • SUMIF: Simpler for basic needs

    • SUMIFS: More powerful for complex analysis

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SUMIFS function in Excel?

SUMIFS is an Excel function that sums values based on multiple criteria or conditions.

How is SUMIFS different from SUMIF?

SUMIFS can handle multiple criteria, while SUMIF is limited to a single criterion.

What is the basic syntax of SUMIFS?

 =SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], …)

How many criteria can SUMIFS handle?

 SUMIFS can handle up to 127 criteria pairs.

Can SUMIFS work with text criteria?

Yes, SUMIFS can work with text, numeric, and date criteria.

Conclusion

Knowing SUMIF and SUMIFS is crucial for data analysis in Excel. These functions are powerful and will help you calculate with precision and speed. Whether you have simple or complex criteria, these functions have got you covered.

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