Four ways to remove decimal places in Excel — each rounds differently. Here's which one is right for your situation.
=ROUND(number, num_digits)
=ROUND(3.756, 2) → 3.76 (rounds up, ≥5 rounds up)
=ROUND(3.754, 2) → 3.75 (rounds down, <5 rounds down)
=ROUND(3756, -2) → 3800 (negative digits round to left of decimal)
=ROUND(A2, 0) → nearest whole numberUse ROUND for standard rounding — tax calculations, percentages, financial figures where nearest value is correct.
=ROUNDUP(number, num_digits)
=ROUNDUP(3.751, 2) → 3.76 (always goes up regardless of last digit)
=ROUNDUP(3.700, 2) → 3.70 (already at 2dp, no change)
=ROUNDUP(2.1, 0) → 3 (always rounds up to next whole number)Use ROUNDUP when you need to ensure you have enough — ceiling quantities, packaging units, time slots. "How many boxes do I need?" always rounds up.
=ROUNDDOWN(number, num_digits)
=ROUNDDOWN(3.759, 2) → 3.75 (always goes down regardless of last digit)
=ROUNDDOWN(7.9, 0) → 7 (truncates to whole number)
=ROUNDDOWN(-3.9, 0) → -3 (toward zero, not toward negative infinity)Use ROUNDDOWN when you want the floor value — "how many complete units fit?" always rounds down.
=TRUNC(number, [num_digits])
=TRUNC(3.999) → 3 (just removes everything after decimal)
=TRUNC(-3.999) → -3 (toward zero, same as ROUNDDOWN for positive)
=TRUNC(3.756, 2) → 3.75 (keeps 2 decimal places, removes rest)TRUNC simply cuts off digits — no rounding at all. Use for extracting the integer part of a number or for calculations where you need pure truncation.
| Function | 3.754 | 3.756 | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND(...,2) | 3.75 | 3.76 | Standard rounding |
| ROUNDUP(...,2) | 3.76 | 3.76 | Always need enough |
| ROUNDDOWN(...,2) | 3.75 | 3.75 | Always take the floor |
| TRUNC(...,2) | 3.75 | 3.75 | Cut off, no rounding |
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