Description
Use this function to calculate the standard deviation of a sample. Supported in Chains. Can be used with CHILDREFS.
STDEV provides a measure of how widely values are dispersed from the average value (the mean). This makes it useful for measuring the variability in a set of data, such as sales figures, temperatures, or test scores.
Syntax
STDEV(number_1, […, number_254])
Inputs
This function accepts the following arguments:
| Name | Required | Description | Valid input |
|---|---|---|---|
number_1 |
Yes | The first number corresponding to a sample of a population. | A number, a reference to a cell containing a number, or a formula which results in either of these. |
number_n
|
No | Additional sample population numbers. | A number, a reference to a cell containing a number, or a formula which results in either of these. Up to 254 additional values from within the overall population can be considered. |
Example
Sample data
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Sales | Month |
| 5000 | January |
| 7500 | February |
| 6200 | March |
| 8100 | April |
| 6800 | May |
Sample formulas
| Formula | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
=STDEV(A2:A6) |
Calculates the standard deviation of sales using range values. | $1203.81 |
=STDEV(5000, 7500, 6200, 8100, 6800) |
Calculates the standard deviation using explicit values. | $1203.81 |
=STDEV(A2:A4) |
Calculates the standard deviation for the first three months. | $1258.31 |
=STDEV(A2, A4, 6800) |
Calculates the standard deviation for alternate months. Note that the third value is an explicit one. | $1550.27 |
Notes
- STDEV has been replaced by STDEV.S in Excel and Workiva, but is still available for backward compatibility.
- STDEV assumes that its arguments are a sample of the population. If your data represents the entire population, use STDEV.P instead.
- STDEV uses the "n-1" method to calculate standard deviation.
- Logical values and text representations of numbers that you type directly into the list of arguments are counted.
- If an argument is a reference, only numbers in that reference are counted. Empty cells, logical values, text, or error values in the array or reference are ignored.
- Arguments that are error values or text that cannot be translated into numbers cause errors.
Tips
- Combine STDEV with other statistical functions such as AVERAGE and MEDIAN for comprehensive data analysis.
Related functions
AVERAGE
AVERAGEA
AVERAGEIF
AVERAGEIFS
LARGE
MAX
MAXA
MAXIFS
MEDIAN
MIN
MINA
MINIFS
PERCENTILE
PERCENTILE.EXC
PERCENTILE.INC
QUARTILE
QUARTILE.EXC
QUARTILE.INC
RANK
RANK.AVG
RANK.EQ
SMALL
STDEV
STDEV.P
STDEV.S
STDEVA
STDEVPA