Ever wondered how to get percentage of another value in Excel pivot tables, like this:
In this tip, learn how to create such calculations using Excel pivot tables.
Note: this tip is not compatible with older versions of Excel. If you are using Excel 2007 / 2010 / 2013, then please install free Power Pivot add-in to create measures.
Step 1: Create a data model pivot table from your data
Let’s say you have some ledger entries data like this, in a table named data:
Go to Insert > Pivot Table and create a data model pivot table from this. Make sure you check “Add this data to the data model” option.
Step 2: Create a measure to calculate percentage of another value in Excel pivot tables
Now that we have a data model pivot, you can add measures to calculate various interesting things. Let’s create a measure to calculate the amount as a percentage of sales. To do that, right click on table in fields list and click on “Add Measure…” option.
Write below measure:
=SUM(data[Amount]) / CALCULATE(SUM(data[Amount]) , ALL(data), data[Category]="Sales")
And click ok. Now your measure has been created. Add this to the pivot table values area and you can see other values as % of sales. Cool no?
How does this work?
There are two parts in this calculation.
-
SUM(data[Amount]): gives the total amount for the category / sub-category in the pivot table rowCALCULATE(SUM(data[Amount]) , ALL(data), data[Category]="Sales"): calculates the total amount for “Sales” category by first removing filters on the data table { ALL(data) part } and then setting a filter with data[Category]=”Sales”
If all of this sounds like Greek and Latin, then check out my excellent introduction to DAX page first. You will learn how DAX works with simpler examples.
If you want to show the percentages only for non-sales category:
then you can use below measure definition:
=IF(HASONEVALUE(data[Category]), IF(values(data[Category])<>"Sales", sum(data[Amount]) / CALCULATE(sum(data[Amount]), all(data), data[Category]="Sales"), blank()), blank())
See all this in action – Video tutorial on “How to calculate percentage of another value in Excel pivot tables”
Check out this short video to understand how to create your percentage of sales measure in Excel. You can also watch it on Chandoo.org YouTube Channel.
Download percentage calculations pivot table example
Click here to download example workbook for this tip. Right click on the measures and select “Edit” to see the DAX formula.
More advanced pivot table tips
Been making pivot tables for a while and want to graduate to next level? Check out below tips:
- Distinct count in Excel Pivot Tables
- Rank totals with in a category in pivot table
- First and last date of a sale using pivot tables
- Generate combinations of two lists quickly
- Excel for accounting – 6 part tutorial
- More on Excel pivot tables & Power Pivot
Pivot much? What is the coolest pivot you have built
I build pivot tables every day, even on those unfortunate days when I don’t get to work on Excel or Power BI (yes, I build them in my mind on those days, you silly). They are powerful, useful and essential.
What about you? What is the coolest pivot you have built? Please, pretty please, do tell me in the comments. Off you go.
8 Responses to “Pivot Tables from large data-sets – 5 examples”
Do you have links to any sites that can provide free, large, test data sets. Both large in diversity and large in total number of rows.
Good question Ron. I suggest checking out kaggle.com, data.world or create your own with randbetween(). You can also get a complex business data-set from Microsoft Power BI website. It is contoso retail data.
Hi Chandoo,
I work with large data sets all the time (80-200MB files with 100Ks of rows and 20-40 columns) and I've taken a few steps to reduce the size (20-60MB) so they can better shared and work more quickly. These steps include: creating custom calculations in the pivot instead of having additional data columns, deleting the data tab and saving as an xlsb. I've even tried indexmatch instead of vlookup--although I'm not sure that saved much. Are there any other tricks to further reduce the file size? thanks, Steve
Hi Steve,
Good tips on how to reduce the file size and / or process time. Another thing I would definitely try is to use Data Model to load the data rather than keep it in the file. You would be,
1. connect to source data file thru Power Query
2. filter away any columns / rows that are not needed
3. load the data to model
4. make pivots from it
This would reduce the file size while providing all the answers you need.
Give it a try. See this video for some help - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u7bpysO3FQ
Normally when Excel processes data it utilizes all four cores on a processor. Is it true that Excel reduces to only using two cores When calculating tables? Same issue if there were two cores present, it would reduce to one in a table?
I ask because, I have personally noticed when i use tables the data is much slower than if I would have filtered it. I like tables for obvious reasons when working with datasets. Is this true.
John:
I don't know if it is true that Excel Table processing only uses 2 threads/cores, but it is entirely possible. The program has to be enabled to handle multiple parallel threads. Excel Lists/Tables were added long ago, at a time when 2 processes was a reasonable upper limit. And, it could be that there simply is no way to program table processing to use more than 2 threads at a time...
When I've got a large data set, I will set my Excel priority to High thru Task Manager to allow it to use more available processing. Never use RealTime priority or you're completely locked up until Excel finishes.
That is a good tip Jen...