3 methods to remove negative sign from numbers in Excel

In Excel, removing negative signs from numbers can be crucial when preparing data for reports, financial statements, or data analysis where absolute values are needed or negative values are not applicable. This guide will explore three efficient methods to remove negative signs from numbers in Excel, helping you clean and standardize your numerical data for better presentation and analysis.

Remove negative sign from numbers with ABS function

The ABS function in Excel provides a straightforward way to convert all negative numbers to positive by returning the absolute value of a number, which is the number without its sign. This section will demonstrate how to apply this function to remove negative sign from numbers.

1. Enter the following formula into a blank cell and press Enter. If the cell contains a negative value, the negative sign will be removed immediately.

=ABS(A1)

2. Next, select this cell containing the formula and drag the fill handle across the range where you want to apply it. This action will remove the negative signs from all negative numbers in the selected cells, as shown in the screenshot:

Several clicks to remove negative sign from numbers with Kutools

Kutools for Excel offers a robust set of tools that simplify many common tasks, including removing negative signs from numbers, through a few clicks without the need for formulas.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please apply the Change Sign of Values feature to remove negative sign from selected numbers as follows:

1. Select the number range that you want to remove the negative signs. select Kutools > Content > Change Sign of Values.

2. In the Change Sign of Values dialog box, select Change all negative values to positive option, and finally click OK. see screenshot:

Now all negative numbers in the selected range have been changed to positive numbers at once.

To use this feature, you should install Kutools for Excel first, please click to download and have a 30-day free trial now!

Remove negative sign from numbers with Find and Replace command

In Excel, Find and Replace command also can help you to find the negative sign in a range and replace it with nothing and thus the number will become positive.

1. Select the range that you want to remove the negative sign.

2. Click Home > Find & Select > Replace, see screenshot:

3. In the Find and Replace dialog, under the Replace tab, type the negative sign – into the Find what text box, and type nothing to leave the Replace with text box blank. See screenshot:

4. And then click Replace All button, all the negative signs have been removed at once, and the negative numbers have been converted to positives. See screenshot:

5. Then click OK and close the Find and Replace dialog box.

Demo: Change positive numbers to negative or vice versa with Kutools for Excel