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Power BI is a data visualization and business intelligence tool that allows users to analyze and interpret data in a meaningful way. One essential feature of Power BI is the ability to calculate and display the maximum value of a given data set. This is useful for identifying the highest value in a particular category or measure. To calculate the maximum value in Power BI, users can utilize the MAX function, which evaluates a column or expression and returns the highest value. For example, if a sales report has a column for total sales, the MAX function can be used to determine the highest sales amount. This allows for better decision-making and understanding of data trends within a business.
Calculate Max in Power BI (With Example)
You can use the following syntax in DAX to calculate the max value in a column:
Max Points = MAX('my_data'[Points])
This particular example creates a new measure named Max Points that calculates the max of values in the Points column of the table named my_data.
The following example shows how to calculate the max of values in a column in Power BI in practice.
Example: How to Calculate Max in Power BI
Suppose we have the following table in Power BI named my_data that contains information about points scored by basketball players on various teams:
Suppose we would like to calculate the max value in the Points column.
To do so, click the Table tools tab along the top ribbon, then click the New measure icon:
Then type in the following formula into the formula bar:
Max Points = MAX('my_data'[Points])
This will create a new measure named Max Points that contains the max value in the Points column of the table:
If we’d like, we can display this value by going to the Report View in Power BI, then by clicking the Card icon under the Visualizations tab, then by dragging the Max Points measure under the Fields label:
This will produce the following card that displays the max value in the Points column of the table:
We can see that the max value in the Points column is 34.
Note: You can find the complete documentation for the MAX function in DAX .
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Power BI: