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STDEVPA

The STDEVPA function returns the standard deviation for the entire population given a sample of numbers as input. It is used to estimate the standard deviation of an entire population based on a sample. This function is useful when the entire population is not known and only a sample is available.

Usage

Use the STDEVPA formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters:

=STDEVPA(value1, value2)
Parameters:
  1. value1 (required):
    The first value or range of cells containing numbers to use in the calculation.
  2. value2 (required):
    The second value or range of cells containing numbers to use in the calculation.

Examples

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

Calculate the standard deviation of a sample

Use STDEVPA to estimate the standard deviation of an entire population based on a sample of numbers.

Analyze survey data

Use STDEVPA to determine the variability of responses to a survey question.

Evaluate investment risk

Use STDEVPA to calculate the standard deviation of investment returns to assess risk.

Common Mistakes

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

Incorrect argument types

Make sure that all arguments are either numbers or ranges of cells that contain numbers. If text or blank cells are included, the function will return an error.

Using a sample instead of the entire population

If you are trying to calculate the standard deviation of a sample of data, use the STDEVP function instead of STDEVPA.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to STDEVPA or are often used with it in a formula:

  • 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.

  • SUM

    The SUM function in Google Sheets adds up a range of numbers. This function is most commonly used to sum the values in a range of cells.

  • COUNT

    The COUNT formula returns the number of numeric values within a specified range of cells. It is commonly used to count the number of entries in a given range that meet specific criteria, such as counting the number of sales above a certain threshold.

  • VARPA

    The VARPA function returns the variance of a population, which is the average of the squared differences from the mean. It is a statistical function commonly used to measure the variability or spread of a set of data. The VARPA function is similar to the VARP function, but it considers all values in the population, including text and logical values, instead of just numerical values.

Learn More

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