=AVERAGE(value1, [value2, ...])One free generation or explanation per browser, shared across Excel and Google Sheets. Account usage limits apply afterward.
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| value1 | Yes | The first number, cell, or range to include in the average. |
| value2, ... | No | Additional numbers, cells, or ranges to include. |
AVERAGE returns the arithmetic mean: it adds up the numbers you give it and divides by how many numbers there are. It is one of the most widely used functions in Google Sheets, for anything from test scores to daily sales.
You can pass AVERAGE individual numbers, single cells, whole ranges, or a mix. Inside a range, AVERAGE only looks at cells that contain numbers. Text and empty cells in a range are skipped and do not count toward the divisor. Cells containing zero are counted, which is an important distinction: a blank means "no data", while 0 is a real value that pulls the average down.
Logical values (TRUE/FALSE) stored in referenced cells are also ignored. If you need text and logical values to count, use AVERAGEA.
=AVERAGE(B2:B31)Returns the mean of all numbers in B2:B31.
=AVERAGE(B2:B10, D2:D10)Treats both ranges as one combined list of numbers.
=AVERAGE(4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42)Returns 18.
=ROUND(AVERAGE(C2:C50), 1)Shows the average to one decimal place.
| Cell contents | Counted by AVERAGE? |
|---|---|
| A number, including 0 | Yes |
| Empty cell | No |
Text such as "n/a" | No |
| TRUE / FALSE in a cell | No |
An error such as #N/A | The whole formula returns the error |
Because errors propagate, a single #DIV/0! in your range will break the average. Clean the source data or use a filtered version of the range.
To average only the rows that meet a condition, use AVERAGEIF for one condition or AVERAGEIFS for several. For example, average order value for one region:
=AVERAGEIF(A2:A200, "West", C2:C200)If zeros in your data mean "not recorded" rather than a true zero, exclude them:
=AVERAGEIF(B2:B31, "<>0")=B2-AVERAGE($B$2:$B$31)=COUNT(B2:B31) with the number of rows to check how many cells AVERAGE is actually using. See COUNT.A store manager logs daily revenue in column B. Using =AVERAGE(B2:B31) they get the mean daily revenue for the month, and days where the store was closed (left blank) are automatically excluded instead of being counted as zero.
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