How to Use PHP's array_sum() Function to Sum Array Elements

In PHP, arrays are a common data structure and developers often need to calculate the sum of all elements. PHP provides the built‑in array_sum() function for this purpose.

The function array_sum() computes the sum of all numeric values in an array and returns the result. It works with both integer and floating‑point arrays; non‑numeric elements are ignored.

Syntax:

array_sum(array $array): number

Parameter Description:

$array : The array whose elements are to be summed. Must be a numeric array.

Return Value:

Returns the sum of the array elements. If the array is empty, the function returns 0 .

Example Code:

<?php
// Example array
$numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

// Calculate the sum of all elements
$sum = array_sum($numbers);

// Output the result
echo "Array sum is: $sum";
?>

The code defines a numeric array $numbers , calls array_sum() with it, and prints the sum, which is 15 in this case.

If the array is empty, array_sum() returns 0 because there are no elements to add.

When the array contains non‑numeric values, such as strings or booleans, those elements are ignored during the sum calculation.

Non‑Numeric Elements Example:

<?php
// Example array with non‑numeric values
$numbers = [1, 2, "3", 4, true];

// Calculate the sum
$sum = array_sum($numbers);

echo "Array sum is: $sum";
?>

In this example, the string "3" and the boolean true are ignored, so the function returns 7 (1+2+4).

Overall, array_sum() is a convenient function for summing numeric arrays in PHP, handling both integers and floats, while safely ignoring non‑numeric entries.