DCOUNT Function (LibreOffice Calc)

• Counts numeric values in a specified database column
• Applies criteria-based filtering using a criteria range
• Supports multiple criteria columns
• Supports AND/OR logic via criteria layout
• Works with structured database ranges

It is designed to be precise, structured, and ideal for database-style counting.

DCOUNT(database; field; criteria)

Arguments

• database:
  A range of cells where the first row contains column labels.

• field:
  The column to count.

  • Use column label in quotes (recommended)
  • Or use column index (1 = first column)

• criteria:
  A range containing column labels and one or more criteria rows.

Assume a table in A1:C6:

Criteria in E1:F2:

Count numeric values in Score that match criteria

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Score"; E1:F2)

Returns 3.

Count numeric values in Age column

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Age"; E1:F2)

Returns 3.

Count using field index

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; 3; E1:F2)

Counts numeric values in column 3 (Score).

Count entries where Name = “John”

Criteria:

Formula:

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Score"; E1:E2)

Count entries where Age is between 25 and 30

Criteria:

Formula:

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Age"; E1:E3)

Count entries with OR logic (multiple rows)

Criteria:

Formula:

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Score"; E1:F3)

Count entries where Name begins with “M”

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Score"; E1:E2)

Criteria:

Count numeric values only (ignores text)

If Score column contains text like “N/A”, DCOUNT skips it.

Count entries with multiple criteria columns

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Score"; E1:G2)

Count entries with dynamic criteria

=DCOUNT(A1:C6; "Age"; H1:I2)

Where H1:I2 is generated by formulas.

DCOUNT counts only numeric values

Text, blanks, and errors are ignored.

field can be:

• Column label (preferred)
• Column index (1-based)
• A cell reference containing the label

criteria must include column labels

If labels don’t match exactly → no filtering applied.

criteria supports:

• Comparison operators: >, <, >=, <=, <>
• Wildcards: * and ?
• Text matches
• Multiple criteria rows (OR logic)
• Multiple criteria columns (AND logic)

criteria range can be anywhere on the sheet

criteria rows:

• Each row = OR
• Each column = AND

Empty criteria → counts all numeric values

DCOUNT of an error in database → error ignored

DCOUNT of an error in criteria → error returned

• Use column labels instead of index numbers
• Keep criteria ranges small and clearly labeled
• Use wildcards for flexible text matching
• Use multiple criteria rows for OR logic
• Use multiple criteria columns for AND logic
• Use DCOUNTA when counting text + numbers
• Use DSUM/DAVERAGE for numeric aggregation

• Use DCOUNTA to count text + numbers
• Use COUNTIFS for simpler criteria without database structure
• Use DSUM, DAVERAGE, DMAX, DMIN for aggregation
• Use FILTER (modern Calc) for dynamic extraction
• Use REGEX or TEXTAFTER for text-based criteria preprocessing

By mastering DCOUNT and its companion database functions, you can build powerful, structured, and criteria-driven data workflows in LibreOffice Calc.