To calculate a running total in Excel, you can use the SUM function combined with a clever use of absolute and relative cells references.įor example, to calculate the cumulative sum for numbers in column B beginning in cell B2, enter the following formula in C2 and then copy it down to other cells: How to calculate running total (cumulative sum) in Excel How to create an Excel cumulative chart.The following examples show the fastest way to calculate running total in Excel and plot a cumulative graph.
This technique is very common in everyday use, for example to calculate the current score in games, show year-to-date or month-to-date sales, or compute your bank balance after each withdrawal and deposit.
It is used to show the summation of data as it grows with time (updated every time a new number is added to the sequence). This short tutorial shows how a usual Excel Sum formula with a clever use of absolute and relative cell references can quickly calculate a running total in your worksheet.Ī running total, or cumulative sum, is a sequence of partial sums of a given data set.
