SQL Server MIN() Function

In SQL Server, the MIN() function is an aggregate function used to calculate the minimum value in a specified column or expression.

Syntax

The basic syntax for the MIN() function is as follows:

MIN(expression)

Here, expression is the column or expression from which the minimum value is to be calculated.

Use Cases

The MIN() function is commonly used to calculate the minimum value in a specified column. For example, it can be used to find the minimum order amount, lowest sales amount, or minimum inventory level in a table.

Examples

Here are two examples of using the MIN() function.

Example 1

Suppose there is a sales table as follows:

order_id	customer_id	order_total
1	1001	50
2	1002	75
3	1001	100
4	1003	125

The following SQL statement can be used to calculate the minimum order amount in the orders table:

SELECT MIN(order_total) AS min_order_total
FROM orders;

The result is:

min_order_total
50

Example 2

Suppose there is a products table as follows:

product_id	product_name	unit_price
1	Product A	10.5
2	Product B	15.2
3	Product C	12.8
4	Product D	9.9

The following SQL statement can be used to calculate the minimum unit price in the products table:

SELECT MIN(unit_price) AS min_unit_price
FROM products;