Excel ROUND, ROUNDUP, and ROUNDDOWN Examples
By Szabó Gergő · Updated
ROUND changes a number to a chosen number of digits. Use it before presenting currency, packing quantities, or comparing values that would otherwise differ by floating-point noise.
Syntax and arguments
=ROUND(number, num_digits)- number
- The value or formula to round.
- num_digits
- Digits after the decimal; 0 rounds to a whole number; negative rounds left of the decimal.
ROUND examples
Extended price is B2*C2.
=ROUND(B2*C2,2)Two digits stores cents instead of leaving a longer binary fraction.
Hours are in D2.
=ROUNDUP(D2,1)ROUNDUP moves away from zero, useful for billing increments.
Quantity is E2.
=MROUND(E2,5)MROUND snaps to a multiple, such as pack sizes.
Common mistakes
Formatting instead of rounding
A format can hide extra decimals while SUM still uses them. ROUND the stored value when the model must match the display.
Wrong num_digits sign
Positive digits are to the right of the decimal. =ROUND(1234,-2) returns 1200.
Using INT for money
INT truncates toward negative infinity. Prefer ROUND or ROUNDDOWN for currency rules.
ROUND FAQ
What is the difference between ROUND and ROUNDDOWN?
ROUND uses standard 0-4 / 5-9 rounding. ROUNDDOWN always moves toward zero.
Should I round every intermediate step?
Usually round only outputs and legal or currency boundaries so you do not accumulate bias.
Does ROUND work on percentages?
Yes. =ROUND(A2,4) on 0.1266 stored as 12.66% when formatted as percent with two decimals.