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Statistical function
AVEDEV
Returns the average of absolute deviations from the mean.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1300 · ProficientUsage rank #297 of 520
When to use it
The average absolute deviation from the mean: a spread measure in the same units as the data, less sensitive to outliers than the standard deviation.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=AVEDEV(number1, [number2], ...)
Worked examples
Four values
=AVEDEV(2,4,6,8) → 2
Mean 5; deviations 3, 1, 1, 3 average to 2.
In the data units
=AVEDEV(B2:B13) → 1,080
Typical monthly deviation from the average, in dollars.
Relative spread
=AVEDEV(B2:B13)/AVERAGE(B2:B13) → 0.108
As a share of the mean.
Worth knowing
- Easier to explain to non-statisticians than STDEV.
- For deviations from the median instead, use a helper column with ABS.
- Blanks and text are ignored.
Where it goes wrong
- #NUM! when there are no numbers.
- Not the same as STDEV, and cannot be used where a standard deviation is expected.
Related
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