ROUND

Round a number to a set number of decimal places with the ROUND function.

Math & Trigonometry
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Excel All versions
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Google Sheets Supported

Spreadsheet editor

Syntax

=ROUND(number, num_digits) Returns: Number

Arguments

Argument Required Description
number Yes The number you want to round.
num_digits Yes How many digits to round to. Positive rounds to decimal places, 0 rounds to a whole number, and negative rounds to the left of the decimal point.

About

ROUND takes a number and rounds it to the number of decimal places you choose. Pass a positive num_digits to round to that many decimals, 0 to round to the nearest whole number, or a negative value to round to the left of the decimal point (nearest ten, hundred, and so on). Use it to clean up long decimals from divisions, percentages, or currency before you display or store the result.

ROUND uses standard rounding: when a digit is exactly halfway it rounds away from zero, so =ROUND(2.5, 0) returns 3 and =ROUND(-2.5, 0) returns -3. If you always want to push a value up or down instead, reach for ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN.

One thing to keep in mind: ROUND changes the actual stored value, not just how it looks. If you only want to hide extra decimals on screen while keeping full precision in the math, use cell number formatting instead. For rounding to the nearest multiple, like the nearest 0.25 or nearest 5, see MROUND.

Examples

Round prices with sales tax

See how ROUND keeps money clean in this price list. Add 8% tax and round to two decimals so a value like 14.0292 lands on 14.03. Change the prices and watch the totals stay at tidy cents.

Spreadsheet editor

Round revenue to the nearest hundred

Try a negative num_digits to round to the left of the decimal point. Here -2 rounds each regional total to the nearest hundred for a clean summary. Edit a revenue figure and see where it snaps.

Spreadsheet editor

Watch how halves round

Notice that Excel rounds halves away from zero, not to the nearest even number. So 2.5 becomes 3 and -2.5 becomes -3. Change the values ending in .5 and see which way each one jumps.

Spreadsheet editor

Watch out for

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Confusing ROUND with number formatting

ROUND changes the real value in the cell. People sometimes use it just to hide decimals, then wonder why later calculations differ from the full-precision numbers.

→ If you only want to change how a number looks while keeping its true value, apply a number format (right-click, Format Cells) instead of ROUND. Use ROUND when you actually want the stored value rounded.

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Expecting bankers' rounding

Some tools round a halfway digit to the nearest even number. Excel's ROUND does not. It always rounds halves away from zero, so =ROUND(2.5, 0) is 3, not 2.

→ Plan for round-half-away-from-zero behavior. If you need to force a direction every time, use ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN instead.

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Mixing up positive and negative num_digits

It is easy to forget that positive digits round decimals while negative digits round whole numbers. Using the wrong sign gives a result that looks off.

→ Positive moves right of the decimal point (2 = cents), 0 = nearest whole number, negative moves left (-2 = nearest hundred).

Tips & notes

Because computers store some decimals as tiny approximations, a value can sit a hair below an exact half and round down when you expect it to round up. If that matters in financial work, round at each calculation step rather than only at the end.

Common questions

Does Excel ROUND use bankers' rounding?

No. Excel rounds halves away from zero, so =ROUND(0.5, 0) returns 1 and =ROUND(-0.5, 0) returns -1. It does not round to the nearest even number.

How do I round to the nearest 10 or 100?

Use a negative num_digits. =ROUND(1234, -1) gives 1230 (nearest ten) and =ROUND(1234, -2) gives 1200 (nearest hundred).

What is the difference between ROUND and TRUNC?

ROUND rounds up or down based on the next digit, while TRUNC simply chops off the extra digits without rounding. So =ROUND(2.7, 0) is 3 but =TRUNC(2.7) is 2.

How can I round to the nearest 5 or 0.25?

ROUND only works with powers of ten. To round to any multiple, use MROUND, for example =MROUND(A2, 5) for the nearest 5.