POISSON.DIST Function in Excel: Chance of Rare Events

⏱ 1 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

StatisticsLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2010+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Related functions

POISSON.DIST models counts per interval — calls per minute, breakdowns per month.

Syntax

=POISSON.DIST(x, mean, cumulative)
Argument What it means
mean Average count per interval.

Examples

Example 1

=POISSON.DIST(0, 3, FALSE)

About 5%: chance of zero calls in a minute that averages 3.

BINOM.DIST · EXPON.DIST

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

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