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PERCENTILE.INC

The PERCENTILE.INC function returns the k-th percentile of a dataset, where k is a value between 0 and 1, inclusive. It returns an interpolated value if the percentile falls between two data points. This function is commonly used in statistical analysis.

Usage

Use the PERCENTILE.INC formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters:

=PERCENTILE.INC(data, percentile)
Parameters:
  1. data (required):
    The array or range containing the dataset to be analyzed.
  2. percentile (required):
    The value between 0 and 1, inclusive, representing the percentile to be calculated.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the PERCENTILE.INC formula in Google Sheets.

Calculating quartiles

To calculate the first quartile of a dataset, use =PERCENTILE.INC(data, 0.25). Similarly, to calculate the third quartile, use =PERCENTILE.INC(data, 0.75).

Finding outliers

The PERCENTILE.INC function can be used to identify outliers in a dataset. Any data point that falls more than 1.5 times the interquartile range above the third quartile or below the first quartile is considered an outlier.

Ranking data

You can use the PERCENTILE.INC function to rank data within a dataset. For example, to find the rank of a specific data point, use =RANK(data_point, data, 1), where data_point is the cell containing the data point and data is the range containing the dataset.

Common Mistakes

PERCENTILE.INC not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the PERCENTILE.INC Google Sheets Formula:

Using a percentile value outside the range of 0 to 1

The percentile parameter in the PERCENTILE.INC function must be a decimal value between 0 and 1 inclusive. If a value outside this range is used, the formula will return an error.

Not including the entire dataset in the range

When using the PERCENTILE.INC formula, make sure that the range includes all of the data you want to include in the calculation. If the range is too small, the formula will return an inaccurate result.

Using a range that includes non-numeric values

The PERCENTILE.INC function only works with numeric data. If the range includes non-numeric values, the formula will return an error.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to PERCENTILE.INC or are often used with it in a formula:

  • QUARTILE.INC

    The QUARTILE.INC function calculates the quartile of a dataset, which is a measure of statistical dispersion. It is commonly used to split a dataset into four equal parts, each containing 25% of the data points. The function takes in two parameters - the dataset as data and the quartile number as quartile_number - and returns the value of the specified quartile. Quartile numbers are specified as follows: 1 for the first quartile (25th percentile), 2 for the second quartile (50th percentile, or median), and 3 for the third quartile (75th percentile).

  • PERCENTILE.EXC

    The PERCENTILE.EXC function is a statistical function used to find the percentile rank of a given value in a dataset. It returns the k-th percentile of values in a range, where k is a value between 0 and 1 exclusive. This function is similar to the PERCENTILE function, but excludes the percentile value from the calculation.

  • AVERAGE

    The AVERAGE function calculates the average (arithmetic mean) of the values passed to it. It is commonly used to find the average of a range of cells containing numerical data.

  • STDEV.P

    The STDEV.P function is a statistical function that calculates the standard deviation of a population based on a sample of numerical data. It is commonly used to measure the amount of variation or dispersion in a dataset. The formula assumes that the input values represent the entire population, rather than a sample. If the input values represent a sample, you should use the STDEV.S function instead.

Learn More

You can learn more about the PERCENTILE.INC Google Sheets function on Google Support.