ROUND changes the actual stored value — not just the display. Here is the complete guide with 6 real examples, ROUNDUP vs ROUNDDOWN, and common mistakes.
ROUND rounds a number to a set number of decimal places using standard mathematical rounding — values of 5 or above round up, below 5 round down. It changes the actual stored value, unlike cell formatting which only changes how a number looks.
Use ROUND in financial reports, VAT calculations, commission figures, and anywhere you need numbers to be consistent and printable — not just visually formatted.
=ROUND(number, num_digits)| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
| number required | The number to round. Can be a value, cell reference, or formula. |
| num_digits required | The number of decimal places. 2 = two decimals. 0 = nearest whole number. Negative values round to the left of the decimal point. |
=ROUND(A2, 2)
← 14.5678 → 14.57
=ROUND(A2, 0)
← 14.5 → 15 | 14.4 → 14
Use negative num_digits to round to the left of the decimal point.
=ROUND(1234, -1) ← rounds to nearest 10 → 1230
=ROUND(1234, -2) ← rounds to nearest 100 → 1200
=ROUND(1234, -3) ← rounds to nearest 1000 → 1000
Round VAT-inclusive prices to 2 decimal places.
=ROUND(A2 * 1.20, 2)Avoids floating-point precision errors like 14.999999999997 that appear in raw calculations.
=ROUND(A2/B2*100, 1)
← 15.6666... → 15.7%
When summing many rounded values, the total can drift. Round the total itself too.
=ROUND(SUM(A2:A100), 2)When you always need to round in one specific direction regardless of the digit:
=ROUNDUP(A2, 2) ← always rounds away from zero
=ROUNDDOWN(A2, 2) ← always rounds toward zero
| Formula | 14.521 | 14.555 | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND(x,2) | 14.52 | 14.56 | Standard rounding (most common) |
| ROUNDUP(x,2) | 14.53 | 14.56 | Never underestimate (e.g. boxes needed) |
| ROUNDDOWN(x,2) | 14.52 | 14.55 | Conservative floor estimate |
When you need to round to the nearest multiple of a number rather than a decimal place:
=MROUND(43, 5) ← 45 (nearest multiple of 5)
=CEILING(43, 5) ← 45 (rounds UP to multiple of 5)
=FLOOR(43, 5) ← 40 (rounds DOWN to multiple of 5)
Formatting a cell to show 2 decimal places only changes the display — the stored value is still 14.5678. ROUND changes the actual value to 14.57. If downstream calculations need rounded values, use ROUND — not formatting.
These give different results. SUM(ROUND()) rounds each value first then adds — useful for matching hand calculations. ROUND(SUM()) adds all raw values then rounds the total — more mathematically accurate but may not match rounded line items.
ExcelPro has ROUND, ROUNDUP, CEILING and FLOOR exercises across all tracks. Free to start.
Try rounding exercises →