How to use Greater Than or Equal To in Google Sheets

The Greater than or equal to is an operator that helps you compare values with one another.

In Google Sheets, to use it, you need to combine greater than (>) and equal to (=) operators, which are two different operators, but you can use them in a combination (>=).

Both these operators are there on your keyboard. Without any further ado, let’s learn this.

Note – The best use of this is testing a condition of numbers and dates.

Using >= Greater Than or Equal To in Google Sheets

Here, we have two numbers that you need to compare with the help of greater than or equal to the operator. Here are the steps:

1. Enter the equal sign to start the formula.
2. Refer to the cell with the first number, A1.
3. Enter the greater than and equal to operators from the keyboard (>=).
4. Refer to the second number, which is in the cell A2.
5. Press the enter key to enter the formula in the cell.

The snapshot below shows that it returned FALSE as a result. The number 500 is lower than the number 530.

But if you change the number from cell A1, say 600, the result in the cell will change.

Using Greater than or Equal to Operator with the IF

The best use of greater than or equal to is with the IF function. In the IF, you can use it to test a condition between numbers or dates and then specify a value to return according to the result of the condition.

=IF(B4>=A4,"Yes","No")

In the above example, we have two dates to compare with each other. Now, when you use the greater than or equal to operator within the IF function, it tests that condition and returns the value you have specified.

As the date 31-Jan-2024 is greater than 01-Jan-2024, the condition is TRUE. But in the function, you have specified “Yes” to return if values are TRUE. That’s why we have a Yes in the result.

When you change 31-Jan-2024 to 31-Dec-2023, which is lower than 01-Jan-2024, the result returns No.

Using Greater Than or Equal To with Other Formula in Google Sheets

You can combine “>=” with other functions such as SUMIF, COUNTIF, etc. For example, to count how many cells in a range A1:A27 have values greater than or equal to 1000

=COUNTIF(A1:A27, ">=1000")

In this formula, the criterion is “>=1000”, meaning only values greater than or equal to 1000 must be counted. If a cell in the range A1 to A27 contains a value that meets this criterion, it is counted. If not, it’s ignored.

Now, you can use a formula like the following to sum values in A1:A10 that are greater than or equal to 10.

=SUMIF(A1:A27, ">=1000")

In this formula, the criterion is “>=1000”, meaning only values greater than or equal to 1000 must be considered.

If a cell in the range A1 to A27 contains a value that meets this criterion, it is included in the sum. If not, it’s ignored.

Notes –  When using >= within SUMIF, COUNTIF, etc., ensure the criterion (e.g., “>=1000”) is enclosed in quotes.

Filter Data with Greater than or Equal to

First, click on the Data menu in the toolbar. Then, select “Create a filter” to apply the filter to the column.

Then click the filter icon in the column header you want to filter. Choose “Filter by condition” to open the option further. Select “Greater than or equal to” from the list of conditions.

Now, enter the value for Google Sheets to compare the cell data. Click “OK” to apply the filter. This will filter the column, showing only the rows with values greater than or equal to 400.

Using in Greater Than or Equal To Conditional Formatting

You can also use the >= operator in conditional formatting to apply a specific format to the cell.

Select the cells you want to format, for example, A1:A27. Go to Format -> Conditional formatting.

Under the “Format cells if” section, choose “Custom formula is,” Click on the drop-down and select “Greater than or equal to.” Then, enter the number that you want to use as criteria.

Set the format style (text color, cell color, etc.) and click “Done”.

This will apply the formatting to each cell in your selected range where the value is greater than or equal to 1000.

Using >= Greater Than or Equal To with Dates

The “>=” Greater Than or Equal To operator also works with dates and times in Google Sheets.

For instance, to find out if a date in cell A1 is past a specific date:

=A1 >= DATE(2024, 1, 1)

This formula will return TRUE if the date in A1 is on or after January 1, 2024.

Sample Sheet