How to Subtract in Excel?

Subtracting in Excel is a crucial skill, enabling users to perform simple arithmetic directly in their spreadsheets. Learn how to perform quick and accurate subtractions in Excel. There is no SUBTRACT function in Excel. Still, subtraction can be conveniently done using the minus sign “-” as the operator. This operation can be performed within a single cell or across different cells. Let’s begin by looking at how to subtract in Excel within the same cell.

 

Carrying out a subtraction in the same cell in Excel is straightforward. Begin by typing the equal sign (=) to signal the start of a formula or operation, followed by your numbers separated by the minus sign (-). For instance, if you enter =23-7 into a cell, Excel will compute this as 16 and display that as the result.

Table of Content

• Subtract Numbers from a Range of Cells
• How to Subtract Percentages in Excel
  • Using the minus sign (-)
  • Using the SUMPRODUCT function

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Subtract Numbers from a Range of Cells

A practical method is to use the SUM function to handle subtractions involving negative numbers across a range of cells in Excel. This approach can simplify your calculations, mainly when dealing with multiple numbers. Here’s how to execute subtraction using the SUM function, demonstrated with an example:

Why Use SUM for Subtraction?

When working with negative numbers, SUM can effectively subtract if you convert the number you want to subtract into a negative. This method is handy for subtracting multiple values at once.

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Example: Using SUM to Subtract

Imagine you have two numbers in cells A1 and A2, say 50 and 30, respectively, and you wish to subtract A2 from A1 (i.e., 50 – 30). Instead of using a direct subtraction formula, you can use SUM as follows:

1. Direct Subtraction: Typically, you would write =A1 – A2 in a new cell to subtract 30 from 50.

2. Using SUM for Subtraction:

• Convert the number you want to subtract (A2) into a negative number. This can be done by multiplying by -1.
• Use the formula =SUM(A1, -1 * A2). This converts A2 to -30, and the SUM formula then adds A1 and -30 (i.e., 50 + (-30)), effectively giving you the same result, 20.

How to Subtract Percentages in Excel

There are two main methods to subtract percentages in Excel

1. Using the minus sign (-)

It is the simplest way to subtract percentages in Excel. Type a minus sign (-) after the first percentage, and then type the second percentage. For example, to subtract 10% from 20%, type the following formula into a cell:

=20%-10%

When you press Enter, the cell will display the number 10%.

2. Using the SUMPRODUCT function

Subtract the percentage per row, then sum the resulting values only for “Fruits”. This can be achieved using the SUMPRODUCT function:

The SUMPRODUCT function takes the following arguments:

Array1: The first array to be multiplied.

Array2: The second array to be multiplied.

ArrayN: The last array to be multiplied.

=SUMPRODUCT((A2:A5 = “Fruits”) * B2:B5 * (1 – C2:C5))

This formula works by

Multiplying the value in Column B by (1 – corresponding percentage in Column C) for each row.

Summing up the resultant values only for rows with the category “Fruits”.

In our example – 

For A2 (“Fruits”), it takes B2 (100) and subtracts 10% (i.e., 100 * (1 – 10%) = 90).

For A4 (“Fruits”), it takes B4 (200) and subtracts 20% (i.e., 200 * (1 – 20%) = 160).

The sum of these two adjusted values is 90 + 160 = 250, which you can see Excel has also calculated.

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