How to average absolute values in Excel?
If you have a list of values which contain both positive numbers and negative numbers, and now, you want to calculate the average of the absolute values of these numbers in the worksheet. Do you have any good ideas to solve this problem?
Average absolute values in Excel with a helper column
Average absolute values in Excel with formulas
Average absolute values with Kutools for Excel 
Average absolute values in Excel with a helper column
Generally speaking, you may use the ABS function to get the absolute values of all the numbers, and then apply AVERAGE function to calculate the result. Please do as follows:
1. Next to your data, enter this formula: =ABS(A2), see screenshot:
2. Then drag the fill handle over to the range that you want to apply this formula, and all the values have been converted to the absolute values. See screenshot:
3. Then, you can apply the AVERAGE function by type =AVERAGE(B2:B13) (B2:B13 is the range you want to calculate their average) into a cell to get the average of these absolute values, see screenshot:
Average absolute values in Excel with formulas
Maybe the above method is a little troublesome, here are some simple formulas also can help you.
1. Enter this array formula: =AVERAGE(ABS(A2:A13)) into a blank cell next to the data, see screenshot:
2. Then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to calculate the result.
Note: If you want to ignore 0 or blank cells when average the absolute values, you can use this array formula: =AVERAGE(IF(A2:A13<>"",ABS(A2:A13))), and remember to press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys.
Average absolute values with Kutools for Excel
With Kutools for Excel's Change Sign of Values utility, you can change all negative values into positive first and then apply =AVERAGE function to get the average.
| Kutools for Excel, with more than 300 handy functions, makes your jobs more easier. |
After free installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:
1. Select the values and then click Kutools > Content > Change Sign of Values. See screenshot:
2. In the popped out dialog, check Change all negative values to positive option . See screenshot:
3. Then select a blank cell to type =AVERAGE(L1:L15) (L1:L15 is the values you want to get average) and press Enter to get the average.
Average Absolute Value
Related articles:
How to average cells ignoring error values in Excel?
How to average only positive or negative numbers in Excel?
How to average a range of data ignoring zero in Excel?
How to calculate average without max and min values in Excel?
The Best Office Productivity Tools
Kutools for Excel Solves Most of Your Problems, and Increases Your Productivity by 80%
- Reuse: Quickly insert complex formulas, charts and anything that you have used before; Encrypt Cells with password; Create Mailing List and send emails...
- Super Formula Bar (easily edit multiple lines of text and formula); Reading Layout (easily read and edit large numbers of cells); Paste to Filtered Range...
- Merge Cells/Rows/Columns without losing Data; Split Cells Content; Combine Duplicate Rows/Columns... Prevent Duplicate Cells; Compare Ranges...
- Select Duplicate or Unique Rows; Select Blank Rows (all cells are empty); Super Find and Fuzzy Find in Many Workbooks; Random Select...
- Exact Copy Multiple Cells without changing formula reference; Auto Create References to Multiple Sheets; Insert Bullets, Check Boxes and more...
- Extract Text, Add Text, Remove by Position, Remove Space; Create and Print Paging Subtotals; Convert Between Cells Content and Comments...
- Super Filter (save and apply filter schemes to other sheets); Advanced Sort by month/week/day, frequency and more; Special Filter by bold, italic...
- Combine Workbooks and WorkSheets; Merge Tables based on key columns; Split Data into Multiple Sheets; Batch Convert xls, xlsx and PDF...
- More than 300 powerful features. Supports Office / Excel 2007-2021 and 365. Supports all languages. Easy deploying in your enterprise or organization. Full features 30-day free trial. 60-day money back guarantee.
Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier
- Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
- Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
- Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!
