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Standard Deviation Calculator

Find mean, variance and standard deviation of a data set.

Calculated locally in your browser.

Understanding your result

Use sample SD when your data is a sample of a larger group, and population SD when it is the whole group.

Formula and method

Variance is the average of squared deviations from the mean; standard deviation is its square root. Sample SD divides by n − 1, population SD by n.

Worked example

For 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 9 the mean is 5 and the population standard deviation is 2.

How to use this tool

  1. Enter your numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines.
  2. Read the statistics.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing sample and population standard deviation.

About the Standard Deviation Calculator

Compute the mean, variance and both population and sample standard deviation for a list of numbers.

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Frequently asked questions

Sample or population SD?

Use sample SD (n − 1) for a sample, and population SD (n) when you have the entire population.