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In this article
VAR.P is the population version of VAR.S: it divides by n, not n−1. Use it when the data is everything there is — all 12 months of a finished year.
Syntax
=VAR.P(number1, [number2], ...)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
number1… |
The complete population. |
Examples
Example 1
=VAR.P(B2:B13)Variance of monthly sales for a closed year.
VAR.P in practice
Where you will use it
- Variance of a whole population
- Process stability
- Risk inputs
Worked example
| Rows used | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | =ROUND(VAR.P(INDEX({120,135,128,160,95,140,132},SEQUENCE(A2))),3) | 37.556 |
| 5 | =ROUND(VAR.P(INDEX({120,135,128,160,95,140,132},SEQUENCE(A3))),3) | 445.04 |
| 7 | =ROUND(VAR.P(INDEX({120,135,128,160,95,140,132},SEQUENCE(A4))),3) | 336.857 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Sample data | Use VAR.S |
| Units | Squared units; STDEV is easier to read |
Related functions
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Statistics advanced33 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 36 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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