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GEOMEAN
GEOMEAN computes the nth root of the product of n positive values, making it the correct average for multiplicative quantities like investment returns, population growth rates, or price index changes. It gives a more accurate central tendency than the arithmetic mean when values span several orders of magnitude.
Excel
=GEOMEAN(A2:A5)Google Sheets
=GEOMEAN(A2:A5)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Return |
| 1.05 |
| 1.12 |
| 0.98 |
| 1.09 |
=GEOMEAN(A2:A5)→1.0586806463
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Sample data — click any cell to edit
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How it works
- 1Gather all positive numeric values — GEOMEAN will error on zeros or negatives.
- 2Enter =GEOMEAN(range) referencing the range of growth rates or ratios.
- 3The result represents the equivalent constant rate that would produce the same compound outcome.
Need a version for your data?
Try: “Calculate the average annual growth rate across four years of investment returns”