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In order to calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, you will need to use the “SUM” and “PERCENTAGE” functions. The SUM function will help you add up the values from a specific range, while the PERCENTAGE function will help you convert the values into percentages. Once you have the cumulative percentages, you can use them to analyze data trends, track progress towards goals, or compare the relative proportions of different categories. For example, a sales manager may use cumulative percentages to track the growth of sales over time, while a financial analyst may use them to compare the allocation of expenses across different departments. Overall, calculating cumulative percentages in Excel can provide valuable insights and aid in decision-making for various industries and purposes.
Calculate Cumulative Percentage in Excel (With Examples)
Often you may want to calculate a cumulative percentage of some dataset. Fortunately this is easy to do using built-in functions in Excel.
The following step-by-step example shows how to calculate cumulative percentages in Excel.
Step 1: Enter the Data
First, let’s create a dataset that shows the number of units that some company sells during consecutive years:

Step 2: Calculate Cumulative Frequency
Next, let’s use the following formula to calculate the cumulative frequency of the first row:

We can then copy and paste this formula to each remaining cell in column C:

Step 3: Calculate Cumulative Percentage
Next, we can use the following formula to calculate the cumulative percentage of the first row:

We can then copy and paste this formula to the remaining cells in column D:

Step 4: Change Formatting to Percentage
Lastly, we can highlight each of the cumulative percentage values in column D and then press Ctrl+Shift+% to convert the formatting to percentages:

We interpret the cumulative percentages as follows:
- About 6% of all sales were made in year 1.
- About 13% of all sales were made in years 1 and 2 combined.
- About 20% of all sales were made in years 1, 2, and 3 combined.
And so on.
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-i-calculate-cumulative-percentage-in-excel-and-what-are-some-examples-of-its-use/
stats writer. "How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 3 May. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-i-calculate-cumulative-percentage-in-excel-and-what-are-some-examples-of-its-use/.
stats writer. "How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-i-calculate-cumulative-percentage-in-excel-and-what-are-some-examples-of-its-use/.
stats writer (2024) 'How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-do-i-calculate-cumulative-percentage-in-excel-and-what-are-some-examples-of-its-use/.
[1] stats writer, "How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, May, 2024.
stats writer. How do I calculate cumulative percentage in Excel, and what are some examples of its use?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.
