Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 28, 2026)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365
In the range G2:G26, Fran has a bunch of values. In the range H2:H26 she has weights assigned to each value. The weights are in the range of 0.5 to 2.0, representing 50 percent to 200 percent. Fran wonders what formula she should use to create a weighted average of the values in G2:G26.
An average is easy enough to figure out, using either the AVERAGE function or by summing a range and dividing by the number of items in the range. Things get a bit trickier with weighted averages, however. Consider the following formula:
= SUMPRODUCT(G2:G26*H2:H26)/COUNT(G2:G26)
This seems to fulfill the requirement of summing the weighted values and then dividing by the number of items in the range. This doesn't work, however, because it treats each item in the denominator as equal in importance. They are not equally important, though, and their relative importance must be taken into account.
A weighted average is properly defined as the sum of all the weighted values divided by the sum of all the weights. Thus, the following formula will provide Fran with the correct result:
=SUMPRODUCT(G2:G26,H2:H26)/SUM(H2:H26)
The SUMPRODUCT function sums each of the weighted values—derived by multiplying each value in G2:G26 by its weight in H2:H26—and the SUM function sums all the weights. The division provides the final weighted average.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (13970) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Excel in Microsoft 365.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
You might wonder how you can calculate an IRR (internal rate of return) when the person repaying the loan pays different ...
Discover MoreIf you use serial numbers that include both letters and numbers, you might wonder how you can increment the numeric ...
Discover MoreIf you have a long numeric value in a cell, you may have a need to remove the last digit of that value. You can do so ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2026-03-31 07:37:32
David Watssman
Also worth noting, if using your raw data in a pivot table, you'll need to include a weighted result for each line in its own column of the source data. This allows you to add a calculated field of the weighted result/weight to give you weighted average for all lines, subtotals and totals.
2026-03-28 23:46:22
Gary Stockton
I am not nearly so knowledgeable in Excel as you, but I use sumproduct to apply a weighted average most heavily on my prior year's expenditure in a certain category, with the weight tending more to the current year's expenditure as the year winds down as follows: =IF(YEAR(NOW())='Income & Expense Summary'!$A$1, SUMPRODUCT((NOW()-DATE('Income & Expense Summary'!$A$1,1,1))/366 * 'Current Avg Monthly Expenses'!$B$4) + (1-(NOW()-DATE('Income & Expense Summary'!$A$1,1,1))/366)*'Prior Avg Monthly Expenses'!$B$4, 'Current Avg Monthly Expenses'!$B$4)
(with $A$1 being the current year)
2026-03-28 10:12:17
J. Woolley
This formula also works
=SUM(G2:G26*H2:H26)/SUM(H2:H26)
but it requires support for dynamic arrays (Excel 2021+); otherwise, you can press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to enter it as a CSE array formula.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments