The Excel PERCENTILE.INC function returns the value at a given percentile of a data set, where the percentile k can be anywhere from 0 to 1 inclusive — the modern replacement for the legacy PERCENTILE.
Syntax
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
array | Required | The range or array of numeric data. |
k | Required | The percentile, as a number from 0 to 1 inclusive (0.25 = 25th percentile). Values outside 0–1 return an error. |
How to use it
PERCENTILE.INC finds the value below which a given fraction of the data falls. The INC (inclusive) variant allows k right up to the endpoints, so k=0 returns the minimum and k=1 returns the maximum.
When the percentile lands between two data points, Excel interpolates linearly between them. The rank position is computed as k×(n-1)+1, so for four points at k=0.25 the position is 1.75 — three-quarters of the way from the 1st to the 2nd value.
INC vs EXC: use PERCENTILE.INC (the same as the old PERCENTILE) for most reporting. Switch to PERCENTILE.EXC only when your method requires the value to fall strictly inside the data, excluding the 0% and 100% endpoints.
Try it: interactive demo
Pick a PERCENTILE.INC example to see the formula and its result.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
What does the .INC in PERCENTILE.INC mean?
k may be any value from 0 to 1 inclusive, where 0 returns the smallest value and 1 returns the largest. It is identical to the legacy PERCENTILE function.How is PERCENTILE.INC different from PERCENTILE.EXC?
k×(n-1)+1 and allows the endpoints; EXC uses k×(n+1) and excludes them, so EXC requires k strictly between 1/(n+1) and n/(n+1). They give different values for the same k.What does PERCENTILE.INC return at k = 0.5?
MEDIAN function. For example =PERCENTILE.INC({1,2,3,4},0.5) returns 2.5.Should I use PERCENTILE or PERCENTILE.INC?
PERCENTILE.INC in current Excel; PERCENTILE still works for backward compatibility but is filed under Compatibility functions. They return identical results.Master functions like this in one day
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