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Statistics function

Excel PERCENTRANK.INC function

PERCENTRANK.INC returns the relative standing of a value in a list, from 0 for the smallest to 1 for the largest. A result of 0.6 means 60% of the other values are below it. It is the reverse of PERCENTILE.INC: that one turns a percentage into a value, this one turns a value into a percentage.

=PERCENTRANK.INC(array, x, [significance])

Arguments

array
The range of numbers to compare against.
x
The value to rank. If it falls between two values, Excel interpolates; outside the range it returns #N/A.
significance
Optional. How many significant digits to keep, 3 by default. Extra digits are cut off, not rounded.

PERCENTRANK.INC examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

AB
1StudentScore
2Ana74
3Ben92
4Cara62
5Dan85
6Eve55
7Femi97
8Gus81
9Hana68
10Ivo78
11Jill88
12Kai70

Download this sheet as an Excel practice file (.xlsx)

  1. =PERCENTRANK.INC(B2:B12,B8)

    Result: 0.6

    Gus scored 81. Six of the other ten scores are lower, so his percentile rank is 6 / 10 = 0.6, the 60th percentile.

  2. =PERCENTRANK.INC(B2:B12,80)

    Result: 0.566

    Nobody scored 80, so Excel interpolates between 78 and 81. The exact answer is 0.5667, but PERCENTRANK cuts it to three digits: 0.566.

  3. =PERCENTRANK.INC(B2:B12,80,4)

    Result: 0.5666

    A third argument keeps more digits: 0.5666, still cut rather than rounded.

  4. =PERCENTRANK.INC(B2:B12,50)

    Result: #N/A

    50 is below the lowest score, so there is no rank to give: #N/A.

How to use PERCENTRANK.INC

  1. Click the cell for the result.
  2. Type =PERCENTRANK.INC( and select the list.
  3. Type a comma and the value to rank, usually a cell in the list.
  4. Press Enter and format the cell as a percentage.

Common PERCENTRANK.INC mistakes

Expecting rounding

PERCENTRANK.INC truncates to the significance digits: 0.5667 shows as 0.566. Add a larger third argument if the last digit matters.

Ranking a value outside the list

A value below the minimum or above the maximum returns #N/A. Use IFERROR, or clamp the value with MIN and MAX first.

Confusing it with RANK

RANK.EQ returns a place such as 3rd. PERCENTRANK.INC returns a share from 0 to 1. Use the one that matches the question you are asking.

PERCENTRANK.INC FAQ

What is the difference between PERCENTRANK.INC and PERCENTRANK.EXC?

INC divides by n - 1 and returns 0 for the smallest value and 1 for the largest. EXC divides by n + 1, so it never returns exactly 0 or 1. Both return #N/A outside the data.

How do ties work in PERCENTRANK?

Tied values get the same rank, based on how many values are strictly lower, so both get the lower percentile.

Is PERCENTRANK the same as PERCENTRANK.INC?

Yes. PERCENTRANK is the older name and returns the same result.

Guides that use PERCENTRANK.INC

Related functions

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