aggregate

MIN()

Returns the smallest value in a column across a group of rows.

Description

MIN is an aggregate function that returns the smallest value found in a column across the rows being aggregated. It's the mirror image of MAX, and like MAX it works on numbers, dates, and text.

Syntax

MIN(column_name)

Parameters

Name	Description	Optional
expression	The column or expression to evaluate. NULL values are ignored when finding the minimum.	No

Return Type

MIN returns the same type as the column it's applied to: a numeric column returns a number, a date or year column returns a date-like value, and so on.

Examples

Library (Books/Authors/Publishers)

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Library (Books/Authors/Publishers)

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MIN and MAX in the same query

You can call MIN and MAX on the same column in one SELECT to see the full range of values at once, for example SELECT MIN(price), MAX(price) FROM books;.

Common Mistakes

Thinking MIN only applies to numbers. It also works on years, dates, and text columns, returning the earliest date or the alphabetically first string.
Expecting MIN to return the whole row. MIN(price) gives you the lowest price, not the title of the book that has it. You'd need to filter or subquery for that.
Forgetting that MIN ignores NULLs. If a column has missing values, they simply don't participate in the comparison, so MIN won't ever return NULL unless every value in the group is NULL.