Neutrophil count optimal range and reference range
Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026
Sera's bands for Neutrophil count:
- Optimal 2.5 – 5 ×10⁹/L (2.5 – 5 ×10³/μL); sufficient 1.8 – 7.5 ×10⁹/L (1.8 – 7.5 ×10³/μL); out of range below 1.8 or above 7.5 ×10⁹/L.
Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.
All units
| Unit | Optimal | Sufficient | Out of range |
|---|---|---|---|
| ×10⁹/L | 2.5 – 5 | 1.8 – 7.5 | below 1.8 or above 7.5 |
| ×10³/μL | 2.5 – 5 | 1.8 – 7.5 | below 1.8 or above 7.5 |
| K/μL | 2.5 – 5 | 1.8 – 7.5 | below 1.8 or above 7.5 |
| /mm³ | 2,500 – 5,000 | 1,800 – 7,500 | below 1,800 or above 7,500 |
| x E9/L | 2.5 – 5 | 1.8 – 7.5 | below 1.8 or above 7.5 |
What the evidence says
The acceptable band of 1.8 to 7.5 ×10⁹/L is a published laboratory reference interval. Neutropenia is defined lower, below 1.5, so a result of 1.5 to 1.8 is under the interval but is not neutropenia. Counts of 1.0 to 1.5 are normal for many people of African, Arab or West Indian ancestry (the Duffy-null phenotype). A raised count most often reflects infection, inflammation, smoking, steroids or stress. The optimal band of 2.5 to 5 has no published source behind it.
Sources
- Haematology reference ranges — Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdult neutrophils 1.8 to 7.5 ×10⁹/L, Sera's sufficient band exactly.
- Full Blood Count (Haematology) — Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Royal Liverpool University Hospital (NHS), 2013 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceNeutrophils 1.9 to 8.0 ×10⁹/L for both sexes, close to Sera's band. The page is undated; it is the laboratory's current page and says these ranges replaced the ones used before 2 April 2013.
- Neutropenia — Mithoowani S, Cameron L, Crowther MA — CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), 2022 · Peer-reviewed publicationNeutropenia is graded mild at 1.0 to 1.5 ×10⁹/L, moderate at 0.5 to 0.9 and severe below 0.5; the reference interval is specific to the population, and mild neutropenia is common with the Duffy-null phenotype. A result between 1.5 and 1.8 is below Sera's band but is not neutropenia. Full text read through Europe PMC (PMC9829051).
What Neutrophils # measures
The number of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell.
Used to work out the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a key inflammation marker.
Related blood cell health markers
- RBC # (Red Blood Cell Count)
- Hemoglobin (HGB)
- Hematocrit (HCT)
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
- RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width)
- WBC # (White Blood Cell Count)
- Lymphocytes #
- Monocytes #
- Eosinophils #
- Basophils #
- Neutrophils %
- Lymphocytes %
- Monocytes %
- Eosinophils %
- Basophils %
- Immature Granulocytes %
- Platelets (Thrombocytes)
- PCT (Plateletcrit)
- Reticulocytes (Absolute)
- Reticulocytes (%)
- Ferritin
- Iron (Serum)
- Transferrin
- TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity)
- Transferrin Saturation
- UIBC (Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity)