Summary

The Excel ROUND function returns a number rounded to a given number of digits. The ROUND function can round to the right or left of the decimal point.

Purpose 

Round a number to a given number of digits

Return value 

A rounded number.

Syntax

=ROUND(number,num_digits)
  • number - The number to round.
  • num_digits - The place at which number should be rounded.

How to use 

The ROUND function rounds a number to a given number of places. ROUND rounds up when the last significant digit is 5 or greater, and rounds down when the last significant digit is less than 5.

ROUND takes two arguments, number and num_digits. Number is the number to be rounded, and num_digits is the place at which number should be rounded. When num_digits is greater than zero, the ROUND function rounds on the right side of the decimal point. When num_digits is less or equal to zero, the ROUND function rounds on the left side of the decimal point. Use zero (0) for num_digits to round to the nearest integer. This behavior is summarized in the table below:  

Digits Behavior
>0 Round to nearest .1, .01, .001, etc.
<0 Round to nearest 10, 100, 1000, etc.
=0 Round to nearest 1

Round to right

To round values to the right of the decimal point, use a positive number for digits:  

=ROUND(A1,1) // Round to 1 decimal place
=ROUND(A1,2) // Round to 2 decimal places
=ROUND(A1,3) // Round to 3 decimal places
=ROUND(A1,4) // Round to 4 decimal places

Round to left

To round down values to the left of the decimal point, use zero or a negative number for digits:  

=ROUND(A1,0) // Round to nearest whole number
=ROUND(A1,-1) // Round to nearest 10
=ROUND(A1,-2) // Round to nearest 100
=ROUND(A1,-3) // Round to nearest 1000
=ROUND(A1,-4) // Round to nearest 10000

Nesting inside ROUND

Other operations and functions can be nested inside the ROUND function. For example, to round down the result of A1 divided by B1, you can ROUND in a formula like this:

=ROUND(A1/B1,0) // round result to nearest integer

Any formula that returns a numeric result can be nested inside the ROUND function.

Other rounding functions

Excel provides a number of rounding functions, each with a different behavior:

Notes

  • The ROUND function rounds to a specified level of precision, determined by num_digits.
  • If number is already rounded to the given number of places, no rounding occurs.
  • If number is not numeric, ROUND returns a #VALUE! error.
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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.