Excel: Function to Calculate a Geometric Mean

 Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
Article ID: Q75319
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2 versions 2.2, 2.21, 3.0

SUMMARY

The geometric mean is the n-th root of the product of n numbers. The following function will calculate the geometric mean of an array of numbers:

Microsoft Excel version 4.0

  =GEOMEAN(Number1,Number2,...)

Microsoft Excel versions 2.x and 3.0

   =PRODUCT(Range of numbers)^(1/COUNT(Range of numbers))

MORE INFORMATION

The following is an example of how to use this function:

Microsoft Excel version 4.0

   A1: 3
   A2: 5
   A3: 10
   A4: 12
   A5: =GEOMEAN(A1,A2,A3,A4) (or =GEOMEAN(A1:A4)
-or-

Microsoft Excel versions 2.x and 3.0

   A1: 3
   A2: 5
   A3: 10
   A4: 12
   A5: =PRODUCT(A1:A4)^(1/COUNT(A1:A4))
The formula in A5 will evaluate to approximately 6.51. This is the geometric mean for cells A1:A4.

REFERENCES

"Function Reference," version 4.0, pages 68, 189, 337

"User's Guide 1," version 4.0, page 132

"Microsoft Excel Function Reference," version 3.0, pages 38, 187

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.0, page 113

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 5.00 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20 2.21 3.0
3.00 4.0 4.00

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Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
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