Formula guide · Excel and Google Sheets · Updated May 13, 2026
Average by Month in Excel or Google Sheets
Use AVERAGEIFS to calculate a monthly average from dated rows.
Quick Answer
Use AVERAGEIFS with a start-of-month condition and a before-next-month condition.
Copyable Formula
=AVERAGEIFS(D2:D500,A2:A500,">="&F2,A2:A500,"<"&EDATE(F2,1))Syntax
=AVERAGEIFS(value_range,date_range,">="&month_start,date_range,"<"&EDATE(month_start,1))Excel and Google Sheets
Worked Example
| A | D | F |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Score | Month start |
| 2026-05-03 | 82 | 2026-05-01 |
| 2026-05-18 | 91 |
Result: Averages only scores from the selected month.
Steps
- Put the first day of the target month in a helper cell.
- Use >= month_start for the lower bound.
- Use < next_month for the upper bound.
- Check whether blanks or zeroes should be included in the average.
Common Mistakes
- Averaging by month names instead of real dates.
- Including zeroes that represent missing data.
- Using an end-of-month condition that misses timestamped values.
Excel vs Google Sheets Notes
The core idea works in both Excel and Google Sheets, but separators, function availability, and array behavior can vary by account, locale, and version.
Editorial check: This guide was last updated May 13, 2026. Formula behavior can vary by Excel version, Google Sheets rollout, and spreadsheet locale.