Often you may want to sum the values of some dataset in Excel based on month.

For example, suppose we have the following dataset and we’d like to sum the total sales by month:

The following step-by-step example shows how to do so.

Step 1: Enter the Data

First, enter the data values into Excel:

Step 2: Extract the Month from Dates

Next, we need to use the =MONTH() function to extract the month from each date.

In our example, we’ll type the following formula in cell D2:

=MONTH(A2)

We’ll then drag and fill this formula down to every remaining cell in column D:

Step 3: Find the Unique Months

Next, we need to use the =UNIQUE() function to produce a list of unique months.

In our example, we’ll type the following formula in cell F2:

=UNIQUE(D2:D10)

Step 4: Find the Sum by Month

Next, we will use the SUMIF(range, criterion, sum_range) function to find the sum of the sales made during each month.

In our example, we’ll type the following formula in cell G2:

=SUMIF($D$2:$D$10, F2, $B$2:$B$10)

We’ll then drag and fill this formula down to the remaining cells in column G:

This tells us:

• There were 117 total sales made in January.
• There were 50 total sales made in February.
• There were 111 total sales made in March.

Additional Resources

The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel: