Statistical Functions
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SUMIFS Function in Excel - Sum with Multiple Criteria

Sum values when multiple conditions are ALL true....

Quick Start

Syntax

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

Parameters

sum_range - Required. The range of cells to sum (e.g., D:D for all amounts in column D).

criteria_range1 - Required. First range to evaluate against criteria1 (e.g., B:B for region column).

criteria1 - Required. Condition for criteria_range1 (e.g., "East", ">100", "*Pro*").

criteria_range2, criteria2 - Optional. Optional. Additional range/criteria pairs. Up to 127 criteria pairs allowed.

Simplest Example

ABCD
1ProductRegionQuarterSales
2LaptopEastQ125000
3MouseWestQ15000
4LaptopEastQ228000
5LaptopEastQ122000
7East Q1 Sales:
=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East", C:C, "Q1")
47000

Quick Reference

Basic SUMIFS (2 Criteria)
=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East", C:C, "Q1")

Sum column D where B="East" AND C="Q1"

Returns total where both conditions are true

SUMIFS with Comparisons
=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, ">=100", C:C, "<1000")

Sum where B≥100 AND C<1000

Filters numeric ranges with AND logic

SUMIFS with Wildcards
=SUMIFS(E:E, A:A, "*Pro*", D:D, "Active")

Sum where A contains "Pro" AND D="Active"

Partial text matching with multiple criteria

SUMIF vs SUMIFS
SUMIF: 1 condition | SUMIFS: Multiple AND conditions

SUMIF tests one criterion, SUMIFS tests many

Use SUMIFS when you need 2+ filters

Real-World Examples

Calculate Sales by Region AND Quarter

Analyze sales performance by combining geographic and time filters. This multi-dimensional analysis pattern is impossible with SUMIF alone - it enables cross-tabulation that business analysts, sales managers, and finance teams depend on for quarterly reviews, regional performance tracking, and strategic planning. This example demonstrates how to filter data across two dimensions simultaneously, essential for sales dashboards, revenue reports, territory analysis, and any business scenario requiring segmented aggregation across multiple categorical variables. Real-world applications include tracking product performance by market segment, comparing year-over-year growth by sales territory, monitoring KPIs across departments and time periods, and creating pivot-style summary reports without pivot tables. The ability to combine categorical filters (region, product line, customer tier) with temporal filters (quarter, month, fiscal period) makes this approach indispensable for management reporting, executive dashboards, and data-driven decision making across organizations.

ABCD
1Order IDRegionQuarterAmount
2ORD-001EastQ1$25,000
3ORD-002WestQ1$32,000
4ORD-003EastQ2$28,000
5ORD-004EastQ1$18,000
6ORD-005WestQ2$41,000
7East Q1 Total:
=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East", C:C, "Q1")
$43,000
Pro Tip: Use cell references instead of hardcoded criteria (e.g., =SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, F2, C:C, G2)) for dynamic dashboards where users select filters.
Pattern: =SUMIFS(sum_range, range1, criteria1, range2, criteria2) for multi-dimensional filtering
Budget Tracking with Date Ranges and Departments

Track departmental expenses within specific date ranges using comparison operators. Date-based filtering is essential for monthly budget reports, fiscal period analysis, and rolling forecasts. Finance managers and budget analysts use this pattern to calculate period-specific costs, compare actual vs budget across departments, and identify spending trends. This technique combines categorical filters (department) with temporal filters (date ranges) for comprehensive financial visibility and control. Common use cases include monitoring marketing spend by campaign type and month, tracking operational expenses by cost center and fiscal quarter, analyzing payroll costs by department and pay period, calculating project expenses by phase and timeline milestone. The dual-range capability (using the same date column twice with >= and <= operators) makes it perfect for any scenario requiring "between dates" logic combined with categorical segmentation - a pattern used daily in corporate finance, budget variance analysis, forecasting models, and compliance reporting.

ABCD
1DateDepartmentCategoryAmount
22025-01-05MarketingAdvertising$5,000
32025-01-10MarketingSoftware$1,200
42025-01-15SalesTravel$3,500
52025-01-20MarketingAdvertising$4,200
6Marketing Ad Spend Jan:
=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "Marketing", C:C, "Advertising", A:A, ">=2025-01-01", A:A, "<=2025-01-31")
$9,200
Pro Tip: For date criteria, use DATE function: =SUMIFS(D:D, A:A, ">="&DATE(2025,1,1), A:A, "<="&DATE(2025,1,31)) to avoid text conversion issues.
Pattern: SUMIFS with multiple criteria ranges: same range can appear twice with different operators (>=start AND <=end)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

=SUMIFS(D:D, "East", B:B, "Q1", C:C)Swapping criteria_range and criteria positions

❌ The Problem:

  • Arguments in wrong order - criteria should follow their ranges
  • Returns error or incorrect results
  • SUMIFS syntax requires pairs: range, criteria, range, criteria
  • Different from SUMIF which puts range last

✅ Solution:

=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East", C:C, "Q1")

Correct syntax requires sum_range first, then criteria_range/criteria pairs. Each criteria must immediately follow its range. This is opposite of SUMIF where criteria comes before range - a common source of confusion when transitioning between the two functions.

=SUMIFS(D2:D100, B2:B50, "East", C2:C100, "Q1")Mismatched range sizes

❌ The Problem:

  • B2:B50 is 49 rows but D2:D100 and C2:C100 are 99 rows
  • Results in #VALUE! error
  • All ranges must have identical dimensions
  • Difficult to debug with complex formulas

✅ Solution:

=SUMIFS(D2:D100, B2:B100, "East", C2:C100, "Q1")

All ranges must be exactly the same size - same number of rows and columns. It checks each row position across all ranges simultaneously. Use consistent range references like D2:D100, B2:B100, C2:C100, or use entire columns (D:D, B:B, C:C) which automatically match.

=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East" OR "West", C:C, "Q1")Trying to use OR logic within SUMIFS

❌ The Problem:

  • SUMIFS only supports AND logic - all criteria must be true
  • OR operator doesn't work in Excel formulas this way
  • Need different approach for "this OR that" scenarios
  • Common mistake from SQL or programming backgrounds

✅ Solution:

=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "East", C:C, "Q1") + SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "West", C:C, "Q1")

This formula uses AND logic exclusively - all conditions must be met. For OR logic (East OR West), add multiple formulas together. Alternatively, use SUMPRODUCT for more complex logic: =SUMPRODUCT((B:B="East")+(B:B="West"))*(C:C="Q1")*(D:D)). See <Link href="/formulas/sumproduct">SUMPRODUCT</Link> for advanced OR/AND combinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

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