ROUND takes two arguments, number and num_digits. Number is the number to be rounded, and num_digits is the place at which number should be rounded. When num_digits is greater than zero, the ROUND function rounds on the right side of the decimal point. When num_digits is less or equal to zero, the ROUND function rounds on the left side of the decimal point. Use zero (0) for num_digits to round to the nearest integer. This behavior is summarized in the table below:  

Round to right

To round values to the right of the decimal point, use a positive number for digits:  

Round to left

To round down values to the left of the decimal point, use zero or a negative number for digits:  

Nesting inside ROUND

Other operations and functions can be nested inside the ROUND function. For example, to round down the result of A1 divided by B1, you can ROUND in a formula like this: Any formula that returns a numeric result can be nested inside the ROUND function.

Other rounding functions

Excel provides a number of rounding functions, each with a different behavior:

To round with standard rules, use the ROUND function. To round to the nearest multiple, use the MROUND function. To round down to the nearest specified place, use the ROUNDDOWN function. To round down to the nearest specified multiple, use the FLOOR function. To round up to the nearest specified place, use the ROUNDUP function. To round up to the nearest specified multiple, use the CEILING function. To round down and return an integer only, use the INT function. To truncate decimal places, use the TRUNC function.

Notes

The ROUND function rounds to a specified level of precision, determined by num_digits. If number is already rounded to the given number of places, no rounding occurs. If number is not numeric, ROUND returns a #VALUE! error.

Dave Bruns

Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.