How to Count Rows in SQL in SQL

Count the total number of rows in a table using COUNT(*) or COUNT(column).

Quick Answer

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM table_name;

Explanation

COUNT(*) counts all rows including NULLs, while COUNT(column) only counts non-NULL values in that column. COUNT(DISTINCT column) counts unique non-NULL values.

Query Variants

Count All

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM employees;

Count Column

SELECT COUNT(department) FROM employees;

Count Distinct

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT department) FROM employees;

Count With Where

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM employees WHERE salary > 50000;

Pro Tips

• Use COUNT(*) for total row count
• Use COUNT(column) to exclude NULL values
• COUNT(1) is equivalent to COUNT(*)

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