DISTINCT DAX Function (Table manipulation)
Returns a one column table that contains the distinct (unique) values in a column, for a column argument. Or multiple columns with distinct (unique) combination of values, for a table expression argument.
Syntax
| Parameter | Attributes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ColumnNameOrTableExpr |
The column (or table expression) from which unique values (or combination of values) are to be returned. |
Return values
A column of unique values if the parameter is a single column. If the parameter is a table expression, the result has the same columns and remove only duplicated rows.
Remarks
If the parameter is a single column, the result of DISTINCT is affected by the current filter context. In this case it is important to understand the differences with VALUES, which might add an additional blank row in case of invalid relationships.
If the parameter is a table expression, DISTINCT returns a table by removing duplicate rows provided by the table expression.
» 2 related functions
Examples
-- DISTINCT retrieves the distinct values of a column
-- VALUES does the same.
-- They differ in the way they handle the blank row generated
-- for invalid relationships, if present
-- DISTINCT does not return the blank row caused by an invalid relationship
-- VALUES includes the blank row caused by an invalid relationship, if present
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
Store[Continent],
"#Stores (no blank row)", COUNTROWS ( DISTINCT ( Store[Store Name] ) ),
"#Stores (blank row)", COUNTROWS ( VALUES ( Store[Store Name] ) )
)
| Continent | #Stores (no blank row) | #Stores (blank row) |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 209 | 209 |
| Europe | 54 | 54 |
| Asia | 41 | 41 |
| (Blank) | (Blank) | 1 |
-- DISTINCT and VALUES can also be used with a table.
-- DISTINCT returns the distinct rows in the table.
-- VALUES returns the table, with the blank row caused
-- by an invalid relationship if it exists,
-- but without performing a distinct.
-- Worth remembering that a table reference does not return
-- the blank row caused by an invalid relationship if you
-- just use the table name.
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
Store[Continent],
"#Stores", COUNTROWS ( Store ),
"#Stores (no blank row)", COUNTROWS ( DISTINCT ( Store ) ),
"#Stores (blank row)", COUNTROWS ( VALUES ( Store ) )
)
| Continent | #Stores | #Stores (no blank row) | #Stores (blank row) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 209 | 209 | 209 |
| Europe | 54 | 54 | 54 |
| Asia | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| (Blank) | (Blank) | (Blank) | 1 |
-- DISTINCT can be used with variables.
-- VALUES requires a table or a column that exists in the model.
EVALUATE
VAR Stores =
SELECTCOLUMNS ( Store, "Continent", Store[Continent] )
RETURN
{
( "#Stores (all rows)", COUNTROWS ( ( Stores ) ) ),
( "#Stores (no blank row)", COUNTROWS ( DISTINCT ( Stores ) ) )
--
-- The following would produce an error: VALUES cannot be used with variables
--
-- ( "#Stores (blank row)", COUNTROWS ( VALUES ( Stores ) ) )
}
| Value1 | Value2 |
|---|---|
| #Stores (all rows) | 304 |
| #Stores (no blank row) | 3 |
Related articles
Learn more about DISTINCT in the following articles:
-
Difference between DISTINCT and VALUES in DAX
This short post describes the differences between DISTINCT and VALUES. » Read more
-
Blank row in DAX
There are two functions in DAX that return the list of values of a column: VALUES and DISTINCT. This article describes the difference between the two, explaining the details of the blank row added to tables for invalid relationships. » Read more
-
Analyzing the performance of DISTINCTCOUNT in DAX
This article describes how to analyze the performance of a DAX measure based on a DISTINCTCOUNT calculation and how to evaluate possible optimizations. » Read more
-
From SQL to DAX: Projection
This article describes projection functions and techniques in DAX, showing the differences between SELECTCOLUMNS, ADDCOLUMNS, and SUMMARIZE. » Read more
-
Understanding blank row and limited relationships
DAX creates a blank row to guarantee that results are accurate even if a regular relationship is invalid. The blank row is not created for limited relationships. This article shows the effect of not having a blank row in your tables. » Read more
-
Choosing between DISTINCT and VALUES in DAX
When should you use DISTINCT over VALUES in DAX? Here is how to write resilient measures that survive bad data and model changes. » Read more
Related functions
Other related functions are:
Last update: Jul 1, 2025 » Contribute » Show contributors
Contributors: Alberto Ferrari, Marco Russo, Kenneth Barber
Microsoft documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/distinct-function-dax