Roundup Excel Without Decimals: 10 Reliable Methods

To round a value in Excel to the nearest whole number, use =ROUND(A2,0); to make every positive value round upward, use =ROUNDUP(A2,0). This guide covers ten formula and formatting options for Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, including when each changes the actual value and when it only hides decimal places. It is for anyone cleaning up reports, preparing calculations, or making a spreadsheet easier to read without guessing what Excel is doing.

1. ROUND to the Nearest Whole Number

With a decimal value in A2, enter =ROUND(A2,0) in B2; if A2 contains 18.6, the result is 19. ROUND uses the second argument to specify how many decimal places to keep, so zero means an integer, 2 means two decimal places, and -1 rounds to the nearest ten. This is the standard choice when you want ordinary nearest-number rounding rather than a one-way rule. Excel rounds a midpoint such as 18.5 away from zero, giving 19, while -18.5 becomes -19, so negative values can matter in financial or adjustment data.

2. ROUNDUP to Always Round Away from Zero

With the number to round in A2, enter =ROUNDUP(A2,0) in B2; an input of 27.01 returns 28. ROUNDUP moves away from zero whenever discarded digits are present, which means a positive number goes to the next higher integer but a negative number goes to the next more-negative integer. Use it for rules that require a minimum whole-unit count, such as calculating how many full boxes are needed to ship a quantity. It is not the same as “always toward positive infinity,” so check how negative amounts should behave before applying it to credits or balances.

3. ROUNDDOWN to Drop the Fraction

With a value in A2, enter =ROUNDDOWN(A2,0) in B2; 27.99 returns 27. ROUNDDOWN moves toward zero, so -27.99 returns -27 rather than -28, a distinction that makes it different from INT for negative numbers. This is useful when a policy says to disregard any fractional portion, for example when counting completed units or reporting whole units used without overstating them. As with ROUND, changing the second argument lets you control another precision, such as =ROUNDDOWN(A2,2) to keep two decimal places.

4. INT to Round Down to the Next Integer

With a number in A2, enter =INT(A2) in B2; if A2 is -4.2, the result is -5. INT always rounds down toward negative infinity, so 4.2 becomes 4 and -4.2 becomes -5. That behavior makes INT a sensible option when you need the integer at or below a value, such as assigning a value to a whole-number interval. Do not substitute it for ROUNDDOWN when negative values are possible: ROUNDDOWN(-4.2,0) gives -4, while INT(-4.2) gives -5.

5. TRUNC to Remove Decimal Places Toward Zero

With a value in A2, enter =TRUNC(A2,0) in B2; -4.9 returns -4, and 4.9 returns 4. TRUNC removes the fractional part without rounding it up or down, which makes its treatment of negative numbers resemble ROUNDDOWN rather than INT. It accepts an optional number-of-digits argument, so =TRUNC(A2,1) keeps one digit after the decimal point instead of returning an integer. Choose it when the requirement is specifically to cut off precision, not to find the nearest whole number.

6. MROUND to the Nearest Multiple of One

With the value in A2, enter =MROUND(A2,1) in B2; 23.6 returns 24, the nearest multiple of one. Although ROUND is simpler for ordinary integer rounding, MROUND is useful when the same worksheet also needs values rounded to multiples such as five, ten, or a quarter-hour increment. For example, changing the second argument to 5 rounds to the nearest multiple of five, while a multiple of 0.25 can represent quarter-unit increments. The number and multiple must have the same sign or Excel returns a #NUM! error, so use a positive multiple for the usual positive-value case.

7. CEILING.MATH to Round Up to a Whole Number

With a positive value in A2, enter =CEILING.MATH(A2,1) in B2; 23.1 returns 24. The significance argument of 1 sets the step size to one, and you can use a larger significance when a result must move up to a larger increment, such as a pack size. CEILING.MATH is particularly useful for minimum capacity or purchasing calculations where a fraction means one more whole unit is required. Its optional mode controls the direction for negative values, so review that argument and your sign conventions before using it in a worksheet containing negatives.

8. FLOOR.MATH to Round Down to a Whole Number

With a positive value in A2, enter =FLOOR.MATH(A2,1) in B2; 23.9 returns 23. Setting the significance to one makes the result a whole number, while a significance such as five rounds down in steps of five. This is handy when a quantity must not exceed a limit or when only complete groups can be counted. FLOOR.MATH also has an optional mode relevant to negative values; if your data includes negatives, check whether the intended rule is toward zero or toward negative infinity instead of assuming it behaves like TRUNC.

9. Apply a Number Format That Shows No Decimals

If the stored number should remain unchanged and only the screen display needs to look whole, select the cells and open Home > Number group dialog launcher, then set Decimal places to 0 in the Format Cells dialog. You can also press Ctrl+1 on Windows to open Format Cells; Excel for Mac commonly uses Command+1. A cell containing 18.6 can display as 19 while a formula that references it still uses 18.6, so this approach is appropriate for presentation but not for changing calculation inputs. Use it on a copy or a clearly labeled report column if readers might mistake the displayed rounded value for the underlying amount.

10. Use Decrease Decimal for a Quick Display Change

Select the cells and choose Home > Number > Decrease Decimal until no decimal places are shown; the button reduces the displayed precision without replacing the cell contents. This is faster than entering a formula when a whole-number appearance is all a report needs, and the change can be reversed by using Increase Decimal. It does not make later formulas calculate from the rounded display: a total can still include the original decimal values even if every row looks like an integer. For Windows, Ctrl+1 opens the number-format settings for more control; on Mac, use Command+1 if that shortcut is available in your Excel setup.

How to Choose

First decide whether you need to change the numeric result or only how it looks. Use ROUND, ROUNDUP, ROUNDDOWN, INT, TRUNC, MROUND, CEILING.MATH, or FLOOR.MATH when later calculations must use the whole-number result; use a number format or Decrease Decimal when the original precision should remain available. This distinction is especially important in totals: formatting individual cells to show integers does not necessarily make their sum equal the sum of those displayed integers.

Next, match the rule to the actual business meaning. For ordinary nearest-integer rounding, ROUND is the most direct choice; for a minimum number of containers, ROUNDUP or CEILING.MATH may fit; for completed units, ROUNDDOWN or TRUNC may be appropriate. INT and FLOOR.MATH can move a negative result farther from zero, while TRUNC and ROUNDDOWN move it toward zero. Test a positive decimal, a negative decimal if your data includes one, and a midpoint such as 4.5 before filling the formula down an entire column.

Finally, consider whether a formula is worth the extra column. A formula in B2 leaves the source in A2 intact and can be copied down, which helps preserve an audit trail; formatting keeps the worksheet compact but can conceal precision from someone reading it. Check the requirements of the report, whether downstream formulas need rounded inputs, and whether the workbook will be shared with people who may rely on visible values. If the distinction is important, use a clear header such as Rounded units and retain the original-data column.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove decimals in Excel without changing the values? Select the cells, open Format Cells with Ctrl+1 on Windows, and set Decimal places to 0 under Number, or use Home > Number > Decrease Decimal. These options change how the values appear, not the precision used in calculations.

What formula rounds a number to a whole number? With the number in A2, use =ROUND(A2,0); for example, 6.7 returns 7. Use ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN instead if the rule must always move away from zero or toward zero.

Why does INT give a different answer from ROUNDDOWN? INT rounds down toward negative infinity, while ROUNDDOWN moves toward zero. For -3.2, INT returns -4 and ROUNDDOWN with zero digits returns -3; for positive values such as 3.2, both return 3.

Will formatting cells to zero decimals change a SUM result? No. If cells contain 1.4 and 1.4 but are formatted to display 1 and 1, SUM still uses the underlying values and returns 2.8. Apply a rounding formula to each input first if the calculation must use the rounded figures.

Can I round a value to the nearest five instead of the nearest one? Yes. With the value in A2, use =MROUND(A2,5) to return the nearest multiple of five; for 23.6, the result is 25. Use CEILING.MATH or FLOOR.MATH with a significance of 5 if the rule specifically requires rounding only upward or only downward.

Final Thoughts

For actual whole-number results, choose the formula whose direction matches your rule: ROUND for nearest, ROUNDUP for away from zero, ROUNDDOWN or TRUNC for toward zero, and INT or FLOOR.MATH when rounding down is intended. For a cleaner display that preserves the source precision, set the number format to zero decimal places. Test the choice with real edge cases, especially negative numbers and values ending in .5, before applying it throughout a workbook.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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