Working with NULL values in SQL is a common challenge every data analyst and database professional faces. This is particular because dealing with NULL can be overwhelming and confusing, leading to frustration during data analysis.

However, it is important to understand what these NULL values are and what they mean for you to have accurate and comprehensive data insights. This article will explore SQL commands and how to use them to count NULL and NOT NULL values.

The Create a new table Synatx in SQL

What Is SQL NULL Value?

A NULL value means no value, not zero or space.

Thus your traditional comparison operators like =, <, >, and <> can’t be used on it. If used, however, the result will be UNKNOWN.

The SELECT Statment in SQL

Think of the NULL value as a field left blank during record creation. You can create a table and insert a new column without adding a value. That field will thus be a NULL value. NULL values can also be inserted into columns of any data type.

To demonstrate this, you shouldcreate a new SQL tableusing the syntax below:

The SQL IS NULL Statement in used

You can also update NULL values in a table using thebeginner-friendly SQL command, UPDATE statement. To do this, use the syntax below.

To view the result, run:

When Are SQL NULL Values Useful?

A NULL value can be used in various situations in SQL:

What Is SQL IS NULL Condition?

The SQL IS NULL command is one of theimportant SQL commands every programmer should know. This command is used to test for NULL values and is best used when looking for NULL values. This command will return all the NULL rows in the column specified in your query.

This query will return all the NULL values in thePhoneNumcolumn.

What Is SQL IS NOT NULL Condition?

The SQL IS NOT NULL command is the opposite of the SQL IS NULL command.

This command tests for non-empty values (NOT NULL values). Thus, it will always return all the rows in a column with a value and exclude all NULL values in the column specified in your query.

The SQL IS NOT NULL Statement in used

This query will return all the NOT NULL values in thePhoneNumcolumn.

How to Count SQL NULL Values in a Column?

TheCOUNT()command is used to count. It is a command that comes in handy when analyzing data in your SQL tables andworking with SQL subqueriesandtemp tables.

Use this query to count the number of NULL values in thePhoneNumcolumn.

This image shows how to use COUNT to count SQL NULL Values in a Column

This will return:

How to Count NOT NULL Values in a Column?

Use the NOT NULL command to count the number of non-NULL values in thePhoneNumcolumn.

You can also use this query to put the result in a table.

In this query, the CASE and IS NULL commands were used to classify your NULL in thePhoneNumcolumn as 1. This value was added and kept in the newly formedNumber Of Null Valuescolumns.

Count NULL Values and Carry On With Your Analysis

As overwhelming as the NULL value can be. They’re actually straightforward to work with. Using COUNT(), you can count your NULL and non-NULL values with just a few lines of SQL codes.

Once you know your SQL commands, you can apply them to various use cases and analyze your data effortlessly.