Summary

The Excel DAVERAGE function returns the average in a given field for records that match criteria.

Purpose 

Get average from matching records

Return value 

The average value in a given field

Syntax

=DAVERAGE(database,field,criteria)
  • database - Database range including headers.
  • field - Field name or index to count.
  • criteria - Criteria range including headers.

How to use 

The Excel DAVERAGE function gets the average in a given field for a subset of records that match criteria. The database argument is a range of cells that includes field headers, field is the name or index of the field to get a max value from, and criteria is a range of cells with headers that match those in database. 

Using the example above, you can get the average value from the field "Price" for records where the color is "red" and quantity is > 2 with these formulas:

=DAVERAGE(B7:E14,"Price",B4:E5) // field by name
=DAVERAGE(B7:E14,2,B4:E5) // field by index

Criteria options

The criteria can include a variety of expressions, including some wildcards. The table below shows some examples:

Criteria Behavior
Red Match "red" or "RED"
Re* Begins with "re"
10 Equal to 10
>10 Greater than 10
<> Not blank
<>100 Not 100
>12/19/2017 Greater than Dec 19, 2017

Note: support for wildcards is a little different wildcards with COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, MATCH etc. For example, the pattern ??? will match strings with 3 exactly characters in these more recent functions, but not in database functions. If you are using wildcards, test carefully.

Multi-row criteria

The criteria range for DAVERAGE can include more than one row below the headers. When criteria includes more than one row, each row is joined with OR logic, and the expressions in a given criteria row are joined with AND logic.

Notes:

  • DAVERAGE supports wildcards in criteria
  • Criteria can include more than one row (as explained above)
  • The field argument can be supplied as a name in double quotes ("") or as a number representing field index.
  • The database and criteria ranges must include matching headers.
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Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.