Returns the smallest value among the rows.
MIN(<expression>)
An aggregate function: it returns the smallest value from a group of rows. It works not only with numbers but also with dates (the earliest) and text (the first alphabetically). It skips NULL. To find the largest value, use MAX.
employees
| name | department | salary | bonus | phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma | backend | 1200 | 300 | +44 7700 900123 |
| Liam | backend | 1000 | NULL | NULL |
| Olivia | frontend | 1350 | 150 | +44 7700 900456 |
| Noah | frontend | 950 | NULL | +44 7700 900789 |
| Sophia | design | 1200 | 200 | NULL |
orders
| id | created_at | amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-07-03 10:15:00 | 120.50 |
| 2 | 2026-07-28 18:40:00 | 80.25 |
| 3 | 2026-08-09 09:05:00 | 199.99 |
| 4 | 2026-08-21 14:30:00 | 45.00 |
| 5 | 2026-09-02 11:00:00 | 64.75 |
These tables already exist in the sandbox — the examples below use them. Want to try this in your own database? Copy the SQL.
| lowest |
|---|
| 950 |
| first_order |
|---|
| 2026-07-03 10:15:00 |
| department | lowest |
|---|---|
| backend | 1000 |
| design | 1200 |
| frontend | 950 |
MIN gives a value, not a row. SELECT name, MIN(salary) FROM employees is an error, because name isn't in GROUP BY. Who exactly earns the least is shown by ORDER BY salary LIMIT 1 or a subquery.
Numbers stored as text are compared as text: of '9' and '10', the smaller is '10'.
Don't confuse it with LEAST: that one compares several values within one row.