VAR.S
Estimates the sample variance based on a sample of the population. Modern replacement for the legacy VAR function.
VAR.S(number1, [number2], ...)Arguments
number1First numeric value or range representing a sample.number2Optional. Up to 254 additional numbers, references, or arrays.(optional)
=VAR.S(10, 20, 30, 40, 50)Sample variance of 5 values
- •Available since Excel 2010 — same result as the legacy VAR
- •Divides by n − 1
- •Variance is the square of the standard deviation
- •Use VAR.P if your data represents the entire population
- •Using VAR.S (sample variance) on data that represents an entire population, which applies the wrong divisor (n-1 instead of n) and slightly overstates the true population variance
- •Interpreting VAR.S's result directly as a measure of spread in the same units as the data - variance is in squared units, so STDEV.S (its square root) is usually more intuitive to communicate
- •Applying VAR.S to a single data point, which returns a #DIV/0! error since sample variance requires at least two values to calculate a meaningful spread
VAR.PCalculates variance for an entire population rather than a sample, using n instead of n-1 as the divisor.STDEV.STakes the square root of variance, returning a value in the same units as the original data rather than squared units.VARAIncludes text (as 0) and logical values in the calculation, unlike VAR.S which ignores them entirely.Should I use VAR.S or VAR.P?
Use VAR.S when your data is a sample of a larger population - the typical case. Use VAR.P only when your data represents the entire population you're interested in.
Is VAR.S the same as the legacy VAR function?
Yes, they produce identical results - VAR.S is simply the modern, more clearly named equivalent, kept alongside VAR mainly for consistency with other newer statistical function names.
Why does VAR.S return #DIV/0!?
The range likely contains only one numeric value - sample variance divides by n-1, so at least two data points are required.
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