The SQL MIN() Function
The MIN() function returns the smallest value of the selected column.
The MIN() function works with numeric, string, and date data types.
MIN() Example
SELECT MIN(Price)
FROM Products;
MIN() Syntax
<p><code class="sqlHigh">
SELECT MIN(<em>column_name</em>)<br/>
FROM <em>table_name</em><br/>
WHERE <em>condition</em>;</code></p>
Demo Database
Below is a selection from the Products table used in the examples:
| ProductID | ProductName | SupplierID | CategoryID | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chais | 1 | 1 | 10 boxes x 20 bags | 18.00 |
| 2 | Chang | 1 | 1 | 24 - 12 oz bottles | 19.00 |
| 3 | Aniseed Syrup | 1 | 2 | 12 - 550 ml bottles | 10.00 |
| 4 | Chef Anton's Cajun Seasoning | 2 | 2 | 48 - 6 oz jars | 22.00 |
| 5 | Chef Anton's Gumbo Mix | 2 | 2 | 36 boxes | 21.35 |
Set Column Name (Alias)
When using MIN(), the returned column will not have a name.
Use the AS keyword to give the column a descriptive name:
Example
SELECT MIN(Price) AS SmallestPrice
FROM Products;
Use MIN() with Date Column
The following SQL returns the earliest BirthDate in the BirthDate column, in the Employees table:
Example
SELECT MIN(BirthDate) AS EarliestBirthdate
FROM Employees;
Use MIN() with GROUP BY
Here we use the MIN() function and the GROUP BY clause, to return the smallest price for each category in the Products table:
Example
SELECT MIN(Price) AS SmallestPrice, CategoryID
FROM Products
GROUP BY CategoryID;
You will learn more about the GROUP BY clause later in this tutorial.
