STDEV
Estimates standard deviation based on a sample (ignores text and logical values).
STDEV(number1, [number2], ...)Arguments
number1First number or rangenumber2Additional numbers(optional)
=STDEV(A1:A100)Standard deviation of sample
=STDEV(85,90,78,92,88)Std dev of test scores
=STDEV(Sales)Measures sales consistency
- •Use STDEV.P for entire population
- •Higher value means more spread
- •Text and logical values ignored
- •Using STDEV (sample standard deviation) when the data represents an entire population rather than a sample - this uses the wrong divisor (n-1 instead of n) and slightly overstates the spread for population data
- •Confusing STDEV with VAR - STDEV returns the square root of variance, in the same units as the original data, while VAR stays in squared units that are harder to interpret directly
- •Applying STDEV to a dataset with only one value, which returns a #DIV/0! error since sample standard deviation is undefined for a single data point
STDEV.PCalculates standard deviation for an entire population rather than a sample, using n instead of n-1 as the divisor.VARCalculates variance, the squared value that STDEV takes the square root of to return a more interpretable, same-unit measure.AVERAGEOften paired with STDEV to describe a dataset's center and spread together.Should I use STDEV or STDEV.P?
Use STDEV (or STDEV.S) when your data is a sample of a larger population - the more common case. Use STDEV.P only when your data genuinely represents the entire population, not just a subset of it.
Why does STDEV return #DIV/0!?
There's likely only one numeric value in the range - sample standard deviation requires at least two data points, since its formula divides by n-1.
What's the difference between STDEV and VAR?
STDEV is the square root of VAR's result. Standard deviation is expressed in the same units as your original data, making it easier to interpret than variance, which is in squared units.
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