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DSTDEVP Function

Population standard deviation of a database column for rows that meet the criteria.

✓ Excel✓ Google SheetsExcel All versions

Syntax

DSTDEVP
(database, field, criteria)

Parameters

ParameterDescriptionRequired
databaseThe range containing the database, including the header row as the first row.Required
fieldThe column to analyze, given as the column label in quotes (e.g. "Yield") or its 1-based column index.Required
criteriaThe range with a header row matching database column names and one or more condition rows; only matching records are analyzed.Required

Basic Example

Population standard deviation of Yield for apple trees taller than 10

=DSTDEVP(A1:E7, "Yield", A9:B10)
Result2

The two matching rows have Yield 14 and 10. The mean is 12, squared deviations are 4 and 4 (sum 8), divided by n = 2 gives variance 4, and the square root is 2.

Advanced Examples

Example 1: Compare with sample version

Same data, DSTDEV instead

DSTDEV divides by n-1, so it is larger for the same two points.

=DSTDEV(A1:E7, "Yield", A9:B10)
Result: 2.82842712474619
With n=2, the sample variance is 8/1 = 8, so the standard deviation is about 2.828 versus the population 2.

Example 2: Population over all apple trees

Criteria Tree=Apple across three rows

Compute the population standard deviation over three apple yields.

=DSTDEVP(A1:E7, "Yield", A9:A10)
Result: 3.26598553447355
Apple yields 14, 10, 6 have mean 10; squared deviations 16, 0, 16 sum to 32; divided by 3 gives variance 10.667; sqrt is about 3.266.

How DSTDEVP Works

DSTDEVP filters the database to rows matching the criteria, then computes the population standard deviation of the numeric values in the specified field: the square root of the population variance, where the sum of squared deviations from the mean is divided by n (the number of matching records). Use DSTDEVP when the matching records constitute the whole population rather than a sample.

1
Set up the database
Enter your table with a header row, e.g. A1:E7 with Tree, Height, Age, Yield, Profit.
2
Set up criteria
Place criteria headers and values in a separate range, e.g. A9:B10.
3
Enter DSTDEVP
Type =DSTDEVP(A1:E7, "Yield", A9:B10) and press Enter.

Important Notes & Limitations

  • Assumes the matching records are the whole population; use DSTDEV for a sample.

  • Needs at least one matching numeric value; with none it returns #DIV/0!.

  • Criteria header labels must exactly match database headers.

Common Errors & Fixes

#DIV/0!No records matched, so there are no values to compute a deviation from.

Fix: Verify the criteria so at least one record matches.

#VALUE!The field was an unquoted column name.

Fix: Wrap the field name in quotes, e.g. "Yield", or use the column index.

Download Practice File

Practice DSTDEVP with Real Data

Download a sample CSV file with pre-populated data and practice exercises for the DSTDEVP function. Works in both Excel and Google Sheets.

Works in Google SheetsCompatible with ExcelIncludes exercises

File format: CSV (comma-separated values) - opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and all spreadsheet apps

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use DSTDEVP instead of DSTDEV?
Use DSTDEVP when the matching rows represent the entire population; use DSTDEV when they are just a sample.
Why is my DSTDEVP result smaller than DSTDEV?
DSTDEVP divides by n while DSTDEV divides by n-1, so the population estimate is generally smaller.
What happens with only one matching row?
DSTDEVP returns 0, since a single value has no deviation from itself.