In Excel or Google Sheets, coefficient of variation for the sample data is =STDEV.S(C2:C31)/AVERAGE(C2:C31) (format the cell as a percentage). It returns 21.39%.
Coefficient of variation = Standard deviation ÷ Mean × 100
Step by step
- Download daily.csv below and open it in Excel (File → Open) or Google Sheets (File → Import). Columns: A day, B ad_spend, C website_orders, D app_orders, E avg_basket; data in rows 2 to 31.
- Click an empty cell and enter =STDEV.S(C2:C31)/AVERAGE(C2:C31).
- Check the result against 21.39%. If it differs, check that the ranges cover rows 2 to 31 and that no cell holds text instead of a number.
The formula
=STDEV.S(C2:C31)/AVERAGE(C2:C31)Expected result on the sample data: 21.39%.
What the result means
Format the Excel result as a percentage. A CV of around 20% means a typical day is about a fifth away from the average day.
Notes for Excel
- Google Sheets supports the same function names. In locales that use a comma as the decimal separator, separate arguments with semicolons.
- Excel functions skip blank cells and text but include zeros. A missing day typed as 0 changes the answer; leave it blank if it is unknown.
Where coefficient of variation misleads
- Only meaningful for values on a ratio scale with a true zero (counts, money). Not for temperatures or scores that can be negative.
- When the mean is close to zero the CV explodes and means nothing.
- It inherits the standard deviation's sensitivity to outliers.
The plain-language explanation is on the Coefficient of variation page.
The data
| day | website_orders |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 27 |
| 3 | 22 |
| 4 | 30 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 6 | 25 |
| 7 | 31 |
| 8 | 29 |
| 9 | 26 |
| 10 | 33 |
| 11 | 30 |
| 12 | 28 |
| 13 | 35 |
| 14 | 32 |
| 15 | 29 |
| 16 | 34 |
| 17 | 61 |
| 18 | 31 |
| 19 | 36 |
| 20 | 33 |
| 21 | 30 |
| 22 | 37 |
| 23 | 35 |
| 24 | 32 |
| 25 | 38 |
| 26 | 36 |
| 27 | 34 |
| 28 | 40 |
| 29 | 37 |
| 30 | 39 |
Same method, other tools
Related methods
Learn more about Excel
About the data on this page
The figures come from a small made-up dataset, printed above in full so you can check every number by hand. Download it as daily.csv. The results are computed from those rows when the page is built, and the Excel formulas, SQL and Python on these pages are run against the same rows before publishing, so the code and the answers agree.
To get these numbers from your own data without writing formulas, try AnalyzeIt: ask in plain words and it shows the working behind every figure.
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