Excel functions / Maths & statistics
AVERAGE
Returns the mean of a group of numbers.
Syntax
=AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...)Arguments
number1, number2, ... | The cells, ranges or numbers to average. |
|---|
How it works
AVERAGE adds the numbers and divides by how many there are. Empty cells and text are skipped, but a cell containing 0 counts, which pulls the average down.
Wrap it in ROUND to keep the result tidy: =ROUND(AVERAGE(C2:C5),1).
Example
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region | Rep | Sales | ||
| 2 | East | Ana | 500 | 437.5 | |
| 3 | West | Ben | 300 | ||
| 4 | East | Cal | 250 | ||
| 5 | West | Dee | 700 | ||
| 6 |
Result: 437.5. (500 + 300 + 250 + 700) / 4.
Tips
- For a typical value that is not dragged around by one huge number, try MEDIAN.
Practise AVERAGE
Try it yourself in a real spreadsheet, with instant feedback on every answer.