ExcelMathBeginner

ROUNDDOWN

Rounds a number down, toward zero.

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=ROUNDDOWN(number, num_digits)
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What the function does

Overview

Rounds a number down, toward zero.

The ROUNDDOWN function rounds a number toward zero to a specified number of digits. Unlike the standard ROUND function, which rounds to the nearest value based on the 0.5 threshold, ROUNDDOWN always decreases the absolute value of the number. If igits is greater than 0, the number is rounded down to the specified decimal places. If igits is 0, the number is rounded to the nearest integer. If igits is less than 0, the rounding occurs to the left of the decimal point (e.g., tens, hundreds). A critical distinction is that for negative numbers, 'down' means moving toward zero; for example, -1.9 becomes -1. This function is preferred over TRUNC when you specifically need to control the precision of the rounding rather than just cutting off digits. Best practices suggest using ROUNDDOWN for conservative financial estimations, such as calculating the number of whole units that can be purchased with a fixed budget.

Quick reference

Syntax

=ROUNDDOWN(number, num_digits)

Inputs

Arguments

numberNumber to round
Example: A2
num_digitsDecimal places
Example: 0

Formula patterns

Examples

1

Rounding down to specific decimal places

=ROUNDDOWN(A2, 2)
financedecimals
2

Rounding down to the nearest hundred

=ROUNDDOWN(B2, -2)
accountingreporting
3

Removing decimals from a calculation

=ROUNDDOWN(C2, 0)
inventoryintegers

Avoid these issues

Common Errors

1

#VALUE!

Cause: One or both of the arguments provided are non-numeric strings or invalid data types.

Fix: Ensure that both the number and num_digits arguments are numeric values or cell references containing numbers.

2

Unexpected Zeroing

Cause: The num_digits argument is a negative number that exceeds the magnitude of the number itself (e.g., rounding 50 to the nearest thousand).

Fix: Adjust the num_digits argument to match the scale of your data or verify if the input number is smaller than expected.

Platform support

Compatibility

Excel 2007+Excel-first

Source: Microsoft Support

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Rounds a number down, toward zero.

number: Number to round igits: Decimal places

#VALUE!: Ensure that both the number and igits arguments are numeric values or cell references containing numbers. Unexpected Zeroing: Adjust the igits argument to match the scale of your data or verify if the input number is smaller than expected.