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Limit Decimal Places (Significant Figures) in Excel & Google Sheets

In this tutorial, you will learn how to limit decimal places to set the number of pregnant figures in Excel and Google Sheets.

excel limit decimal places

To round a decimal number in Excel, you can utilize the ROUND Role, as detailed here. Below nosotros'll show how to utilise prison cell formatting to limit the number of decimal places displayed while retaining the verbal original value.

Limit Decimal Places

If y'all type a decimal number into a cell without any prison cell formatting (General format), Excel volition display as many decimal places every bit the jail cell width allows for. For this example, consider a number with 8 decimal places, equally shown beneath.

excel decimal number initial data

Column B has the standard width, and then it displays 6 decimal places.

Although the cell is not explicitly formatted every bit a number, Excel recognizes is as a number and rounds it up (4.23871695 → iv.238717). Note that the stored value is exactly the same.

To decrease the number of decimal places, select the cell with a number (here, B2), and in the Ribbon, go to Home > Decrease Decimal. One click decreases the number of decimal places by one.

number decrease decimal digits

As shown in the picture to a higher place, the number of decimal places in cell B2 is decreases to 5. Too, the cell format automatically changes from General to Number.

You can also limit decimal places using number formatting.

ane. Select the cell with a number (B2) and in the Ribbon, go to Home > Number Format.

limit decimal places number format

ii. In the Format Cells window, enter the number of decimal places (for example, three) and click OK. Yous tin immediately run into how the number will wait in the Sample box.

limit decimal places number format 2

As a result, the number in cell B2 is rounded to 3 decimal places.

excel decimal number final data

NOTE: If you format the cell every bit a number, Excel volition display two decimal places by default.

Limit Decimal Places in Google Sheets

In Google Sheets, decimal numbers are too displayed depending on the cavalcade width. Different Excel, Google Sheets doesn't recognize a number unless information technology's formatted as one. Therefore, if you reduce the column width, information technology won't circular the number, just cutting off the extra decimal places. When you format the cell equally a number, it'due south rounded to 2 decimal places. Follow these steps to reduce the number of displays decimal places to one:

1. Kickoff format the prison cell every bit a number. Select the cell with a number (B2) and in the Bill of fare, go to Format > Number > Number.

google sheets format as number

Now prison cell B2 is formatted as a number with ii decimal places past default.

google sheets format as number 2

2. Now you tin limit the decimal places. Select the jail cell with a number (here, B2) and in the Card, go to Format > Number > More than Formats > Custom number format.

google sheets set decimal limit

three. In the Custom number formats window, enter #,##0.0 and click Apply. Zeros after the decimal point represent the number of decimal places that will be displayed.

google sheets set decimal limit 2

Finally, the number in cell B2 is limited to one decimal identify.

google sheets final data