Quickly calculate the average (arithmetic mean) of a list of numbers.
Google AdSense Banner
This area will contain advertisements after approval.
Google AdSense Banner
This area will contain advertisements after approval.
The average, or arithmetic mean, is the sum of all values divided by how many values there are: Average = Sum ÷ Count. It's the most common way to summarize a typical value in a data set, though it can be skewed by unusually large or small outliers.
This calculator is intentionally simple, just the average, sum and count, for whenever you need that figure quickly without a broader statistical breakdown. Our Mean, Median & Mode Calculator and Statistics Calculator both include this same average figure as part of a more comprehensive set of results, useful if you need median, mode, standard deviation or other measures at the same time.
For the numbers 12, 18, 25 and 30: the sum is 12 + 18 + 25 + 30 = 85, and dividing by the count of 4 gives an average of 85 ÷ 4 = 21.25.
Treating the average as automatically representative of a 'typical' value, a few extreme outliers can pull the average noticeably away from what most of the data actually looks like, the median is often a better measure of typical value when outliers are present.
Forgetting to include every value when computing by hand, the average requires dividing by the full count of numbers entered, leaving one out (even a repeated value) changes both the sum and the count.
Mixing up sum and average, the sum is the total of all values added together, the average divides that total by how many values there are, they answer different questions.
In everyday usage, yes, 'average' almost always refers to the arithmetic mean, though technically median and mode are also types of 'averages' in a broader statistical sense.
Yes, the average is sensitive to outliers, a single unusually large or small value can pull the average noticeably in its direction. If you want a measure less affected by outliers, consider the median instead.
This tool shows only the average (plus sum and count) for a quick, focused result. The Statistics Calculator computes a full set of descriptive statistics at once, including median, mode, standard deviation, variance and quartiles.
Google AdSense Banner
This area will contain advertisements after approval.