The Excel VARPA function calculates the variance of an entire population while also counting text and logical values — TRUE as 1, FALSE and text as 0 — unlike VAR.P, which ignores them.
Syntax
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
value1 | Required | The first value, cell, or range that represents the whole population. Numbers, logical values, and text are all evaluated. |
value2, ... | Optional | Up to 254 additional values or ranges. TRUE counts as 1; FALSE and any text count as 0. |
How to use it
VARPA treats your arguments as the complete population (not a sample), so it divides the sum of squared deviations by n rather than n−1. What sets it apart from VAR.P is how it handles non-numbers: VARPA includes them.
The two formulas above use the same five numbers, but VARPA adds a sixth value (a TRUE, shown here as its numeric equivalent 1), which pulls the mean and the variance. The rule of thumb:
| Value type | VARPA counts it as | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number | its value |
| 2 | TRUE | 1 |
| 3 | FALSE | 0 |
| 4 | Text ("abc", "") | 0 |
| 5 | Empty cell | ignored |
Which variance function? Use VAR.P for a full population of pure numbers, VAR.S for a sample, and VARPA only when you genuinely want text/logical cells scored as 0/1 instead of skipped.
Try it: interactive demo
Pick a VARPA example to see the formula and its result.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between VARPA and VAR.P?
VAR.P ignores text and logical values in a range; VARPA includes them, counting TRUE as 1 and FALSE or text as 0. With pure-number data the two return the same result.Does VARPA use population or sample variance?
n (the count of all evaluated values). For a sample estimate that divides by n−1, use VARA or VAR.S instead.How are TRUE and FALSE treated by VARPA?
TRUE is evaluated as 1 and FALSE as 0, so both become part of the population and affect the mean and variance.Is VARPA a modern or legacy function?
VAR.P, formerly VARP.)Master functions like this in one day
This page covers one function. Our Excel Formulas and Functions class covers the 30 that matter most — live, hands-on, taught by professionals in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Oklahoma City, Denver, or online.
See the Formulas & Functions Class