Lets say you have a large list of numbers, and you want to calculate the average of every nth value. Not the average of all numbers, but just every nth number.
That is what we will learn in next few minutes.
Few assumptions
Before we jump in to any formulas, first lets assume that all your data is in a table, conveniently named as tbl. Lets say this table has below structure.
Also, the value of n is a named cell N.
Average of every nth value
Approach 1: Using helper columns
If you have no allergies towards nuts, dairy or helper columns, then this approach is easiest.
We just add an extra column to our tbl , called as helper.
In the helper column, write this formula.
=MOD([@ID], N)=0
This will fill the helper column with TRUE & FALSE values, TRUE for all nth values, FALSE for everything else. See aside.
Once we have the helper column, calculating average of every nth value is easy as eating every slice of a cake.
We use AVERAGEIF to do this.
=AVERAGEIF(tbl[Value],tbl[Helper],TRUE)
Approach 2: Not using helper columns
Now things get interesting. Lets say you want to calculate average, but not use any helper columns.
First the formula:
=AVERAGE(IF(MOD(tbl[ID], N)=0,tbl[Value]))
Array entered.
Lets understand how it works:
We want the average of every nth item of tbl[Value] column.
In other words, we want average of every item of tbl[Value] column, whose corresponding tbl[ID] value is perfectly divisible by n.
How do we know when a value is perfectly divisible by another?
Don’t worry. You don’t have to do the long division on paper now. Instead we use Excel’s MOD function.
When a value is perfectly divisible by another, the reminder is zero.
So, MOD(value1, value2) = 0 means, value2 divides value1 perfectly.
That means…
We want the average of tbl[Value] when MOD(tbl[ID], N) = 0
Lets write that in Excel formula lingo.
=AVERAGE( IF(MOD(tbl[ID], N) = 0, tbl[Value]) )
This formula results in a bunch of values and FALSEs. Assuming N=3, this is what we get (for sample data):
=AVERAGE({FALSE;FALSE;15;FALSE;FALSE;18;FALSE;FALSE;18;FALSE;FALSE;15;FALSE;FALSE;14; …})
Since AVERAGE formula ignores any logical values, it will calculate the average of {15, 18, 18, 15, 14 … } and returns the answer you are expecting.
As this formula is processing arrays instead of single values, you need to array enter it (CTRL+SHIFT+Enter after typing the formula).
Bonus scenario: Average of FEBRUARY values only!
Here is a bonus scenario. Lets say you want to calculate the average sales of FEB alone… Then you can use AVERAGEIF (or AVERAGEIFS, if you want to have multiple conditions).
=AVERAGEIF(tbl[value], tbl[month], “FEB”)
Download example workbook:
Click here to download the example workbook. It contains all the techniques explained in this post. Play with the data & formulas to understand better.
Time for some challenges…
If you think averaging every nth value is not mean enough, try below challenges. Post your answers using comments.
- Write a formula to calculate average of every nth value, starting at row number ‘t’.
- Write a formula to calculate average of every nth value, assuming your table has only value column (no ID column).
Go ahead. Show off your formula skills. Post your answers in comments section.
Improving your Excel batting average
Calculating averages predates slice bread. Folklore says that when first neanderthal figured out how to express numbers and carved 2 of them on a cave wall, his manager walked by and asked “What is the average of these two? Eh?” and thumped her chest.
Although caves & wall carvings are replaced by cubicles & spreadsheets, we are still calculating averages, almost 2.9 million of them per hour.
So it pays to learn a few tricks about Excel Average formulas. Check out below to improve your average:
- Calculating Moving Average, Weighted Average
- Average of top 5 values
- Show averages & distribution in your charts
- Using SUMIFS formula (same tricks apply to AVERAGEIF, AVERAGEIFS too)
If your boss is the kind who thumps her chest and mocks you for your poor Excel skills, don’t cave in. Fight back. Enroll in Excel School and show that you can evolve.
17 Responses to “Budget vs. Actual Profit Loss Report using Pivot Tables”
Good Work, Yogesh & Chandoo! Thanks.
Hi everybody,
first sorry I am late to say something about this topic;actually I was waiting last part
second I am not accountant I am an Engineer
third """"Very Important""" the idea is not about Loss but I am sure it is profit
Based on third it shows:
1- How to use EXCEL
2- How to use pivot TABLES
3- How to collect and arrange DATA
4- How to make reports
Many Thanks
Hi Yogesh and Chandoo,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
You guys are great!
thanks chandoo and yogesh, thanks for you lessons, are great!....i have a idea for a budget. I try to do it..... thanks for all
Thanks a lot for sharing the most powerful tool worldwide "knowledge"
Warm greetings from Peru
Hi -
This is a really great article because it's a simple and common thing you'd want to do with a pivot table but not at all obvious how to do it! So - muchas gracias to Chandoo and Yogesh!
One thing - I couldn't get past the group error in the sample file. I would click on ungroup but it didn't seem to have any effect. I'd appreciate it if anybody has any pointers here.
-Juanito
Hi Chandoo
I am also having the group error. Can't seem to ungroup? Appreciate if you explain further on the steps required in order to get to calculated items.
Many thanks and keep up the great work.
Cheers
Adam
Hi Chandoo,
I'm struggling resolving the problem depicted below:
I have a set of data, with (among others) a "Region" field (can be APJ, EMEA, or AMS), and a "Country" field.
Unfortunately, I need to group data by the following 4 Regions: APeJ, Japan, EMEA and AMS.
I first tried to make a pivot with Region and Country in the rows (or columns), and then group Country data as per the above.
Alas, as soon as I have a new Country that appear in my data set, my groupings are broken, and I have to redo the job of ungrouping, grouping etc.
I thought I could try to use calculated item, by adding first a new column to my dataset concatenating Region_Country, and create an "APeJ" calculated item that would sum all the "APJ_*" and substract the "APJ_Japan", but again, no clue, as I can't find a way to use any wild card in those formulas.
Given that I already found extremely helpful tips and tricks in your site that helped me manage that bunch of data, I'm pretty sure you'll have a bright idea on how I can solve that one!
Thanks in advance for your lights!
Hi Catherine...
In such cases, I advice using an additional column in the data itself. You can set-up a grouping table else where with country in first column, region in second column. And then in the data, you can add an extra column and use VLOOKUP to fetch the region based on the country.
Then feed this entire data (with extra column) to pivot table and use the extra column to group the data.
Hi Chandoo,
Thank you for your prompt answer.
I finally came to the same conclusion - after a rest 🙂 . I was probably too tired Friday evening (it was rather late), having spent hours in manipulating all my surveys data so as to pull rolling averages, make nice graphs and so on, and was trying to find a complex solution when there was a simple one.
Thanks again,
Catherine
Hey,
Great post!
I for example have different database structure with the following fields :
Date, Expense, Income, Sum (Income - Expense), Category (Sales, Cost of Goods and etc).
Creating a P&L report for the whole year works great. Including gross margin % and etc.
Though, creating P&L report by QTR/Month is becoming impossible since i get the following error : “This PivotTable report field is grouped. You cannot add calculated item to grouped filed.”
Is there a solution for this kind of problem?
Like Adam and Juanito, I also cannot ungroup.
Would appreciate it if you can add a few more lines and a screenshot or two on where to put the mouse cursor to ungroup.
Hi, I have figured out the ungrouping problem. One of the earlier steps was to group by month, if you pull the month back down to the column then right click and then select ungroup, then pull the month back up so you end up with just data source and budget/actual as the headings, then you can continue on.
To solve the ungroup problem, my method is:
Copy the "data" sheet to a whole new Excel workbook
and directly work on Part 6.
And since it is a fresh copy, Excel don't show me the "can't ungroup" problem. Hope this help.
Thank you Yogesh for this wonderful tutorial.
Kent, Malaysia
Just when i thought pivots were awesome i learn about inserting the calculated fields and that makes them more awesome. chandoo where have you been all my life.
Hello - your P&L pivot version has really impressed my boss and would like to use it. I have applied it for a actual vs budget vs forecast model I have created. One problem. In your variance above the operating profit percent % variance shows 33.8% but I want it to show (0.01) point or the true diff from prior budget.
I know I can add calculation to the side but boss would like to see it in pivot table.
Please help
Thanks
I have a further query which may solve my above dilemma. Is it possible to add a column that calculates percent increase. So in the example above a new column would be added to show variance %.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks