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MIN

MIN returns the minimum non-null value in a set.

Use it for earliest dates, smallest amounts, or alphabetically first text.

Core Concepts​

flowchart LR
  A[Input values] --> B[Compare values]
  B --> C[Return smallest non-NULL value]
Use caseExample
Smallest amountMIN(amount)
Earliest date textMIN(order_date)
First name alphabeticallyMIN(name)

Code Examples​

-- Setup simple table.
CREATE TABLE orders_min (
  order_id    INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  order_date  TEXT NOT NULL,
  total       REAL NOT NULL
);

INSERT INTO orders_min (order_date, total)
VALUES
  ('2026-03-01', 99.0),
  ('2026-02-15', 49.0),
  ('2026-03-10', 149.0);
Expected output
Table created and three rows inserted.
-- Earliest date and smallest total.
SELECT
  MIN(order_date) AS earliest_date,
  MIN(total)      AS smallest_total
FROM orders_min;
earliest_datesmallest_total
2026-02-1549.0

SQLite-Specific Nuances​

SQLite Nuance

For date-like text, MIN works correctly when dates are stored in sortable ISO-8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD).

Common Pitfalls / Best Practices​

Pitfall

Storing dates in inconsistent text formats and expecting MIN/MAX to behave chronologically.

Best Practice

Store dates as ISO-8601 text (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS) for reliable ordering and aggregation.

Quick Challenge​

Return the earliest order_date from orders_min.

View Solution
SELECT MIN(order_date) AS earliest_date
FROM orders_min;
earliest_date
2026-02-15