Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Displaying a Number as Years and Months.
Robert has a formula that determines the payback period for certain investments. For instance, with $20,000 investment in energy-savings equipment and an annual energy savings of $3000, the simplistic payback period to recoup the investment is 6.6667 years. Robert wonders how he can make this payback period (6.6667) show as years and months instead of as a decimal number.
This can be done by simply multiplying the portion of the answer at the right of the decimal point by 12, which results in a number of months. Here is one way to get the desired result, assuming that the payback result is in cell A1:
=INT(A1) & " years / " & INT((A1-INT(A1))*12) & " months"
With the value 6.6667 in cell A1, the formula would return “6 years / 8 months”.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12485) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Displaying a Number as Years and Months.
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2021-09-28 07:50:30
Mike
@Dave
@Lara
To avoid possible results such as 6 Years/12 Months, and 6 Years/0 Months, and using Dave's argument that part months should be treated as whole months:
=INT(ROUNDUP(A1*12,0)/12 )&" Years"& IF(( INT(ROUNDUP(A1*12,0)/12)-(A1))<0," / "& ROUND(MOD((ROUNDUP(A1*12,0)/12 ),1)*12,0)&" Month(s)"," Exactly")
I'm sure this can be shorter, but it does seem to work.
2020-06-26 08:40:17
Lara
Solution to not showing for example "6 years/0 months"?
Hi Allen, this was really helpful, thank you.
I was wondering whether you have a solution for removing the part displaying "0 months" when applicable?
Regards
2018-03-20 08:32:07
Dave Shepherd
This example should use ROUNDUP function for months section as payback is calculated in full month; INT always rounds down, it basically works the same way as ROUNDDOWN(A1,0). This also would fix the negative issue if you replace all of the INTs with ROUNDDOWN, ROUND or ROUNDUP as appropriate
If you need completed months only
=INT(A1) & " years / " & INT((A1-INT(A1))*12) & " months"
If you need to nearest months
=INT(A1) & " years / " & ROUND((A1-INT(A1))*12,0) & " months"
If you need to count part month as complete month (as in the example given)
=INT(A1) & " years / " & ROUNDUP((A1-INT(A1))*12,0) & " months"
2018-02-18 06:27:37
Willy Vanhaelen
@DREW
You are right, months are not in tenths but the formula doesn't do that. Try with 6.92 and you get 6 years / 11 months. So the formula is all right BUT ONLY FOR POSITIVE NUMBERS. For positive as well as negative numbers use this formula:
=TRUNC(A1) & " years / " & TRUNC((A1-TRUNC(A1))*12) & " months"
2018-02-17 17:09:31
DREW
NO. THIS WRONG! MONTHS ARE NOT IN TENTHS!
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
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