Which Standard Deviation to Use in Excel?

To find standard deviation of a population, use the STDEV. P function in Excel 2010 and later; STDEVP in Excel 2007 and earlier. If you want logical or text values to be included in the calculation, use either STDEVA (sample standard deviation) or STDEVPA (population standard deviation).

Should I use STDEV s or STDEV P?

P function is used when your data represents the entire population. The STDEV. S function is used when your data is a sample of the entire population.

What is the difference between STDEV and STDEV P?

STDEVP assumes that its arguments are the entire population. If your data represents a sample of the population, then compute the standard deviation using STDEV. For large sample sizes, STDEV and STDEVP return approximately equal values. The standard deviation is calculated using the "n" method.