Excel Subtraction How-To

General
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Excel is a fantastic tool for calculations, and subtraction is a basic operation you’ll use often. Knowing how to subtract in Excel can really speed up your data crunching and make you more efficient.

Subtracting Between Cells

To subtract one cell’s value from another, you’ll use cell references and the minus (-) operator. Start your formula with an equals sign (=), then enter the cell references you want to subtract, separated by the minus sign.

=Cell1 - Cell2

example of subtracting one cell from another

For example, if you want to subtract the value in cell B2 from the value in cell A1 and place the result in cell C1, your formula in C1 would be =A1-B2.

Subtracting Multiple Columns

To subtract an entire column, enter your subtraction formula in the first cell, then drag the fill handle (that little square at the bottom-right of the cell) down to apply the formula to the rest of the column.

example of dragging the formula to apply to the rest of the column

This extends the subtraction formula across the column, automatically adjusting the cell references for each row and displaying the results in column C.

result of applying the formula to the rest of the column
You can also extend your formulas to subtract multiple cells within the formula, for example =A1 - B1 - C1.

example of subtracting multiple cells in a formula

Subtracting Numbers Directly in a Cell

You can also perform subtraction directly within a cell by typing numbers. Just start with the equals sign (=) and separate your numbers with the minus sign (-).

=Number1 - Number2

For example, if you enter =73 - 23 into cell E2 and press Enter, the cell will display 50.
example of subtracting directly in a cell

Subtracting a Sum of Cells

When you need to subtract the sum of several cells from another value, the SUM function makes things easier. Use the SUM function to add the cells you want to subtract, then put a minus sign in front of the SUM function to subtract that sum.

=A1 - SUM(A2:A6)

For instance, to subtract the total of cells A2 through A6 from cell A1, you would use the formula =A1 - SUM(A2:A6).
example of subtracting a sum of cells from another cell

Subtracting the Same Number From Multiple Cells

If you need to subtract the same number from a bunch of cells, you can use an absolute cell reference. This locks the reference to a specific cell using dollar signs ($).

For instance, to subtract the value in cell B8 from the cells B1 through B6, you would create an absolute reference to B8 like this: $B$8.

Here’s how the formula would look:

=B1 - $B$8

example of using an absolute cell reference to subtract the same number
Drag the fill handle down to apply the subtraction to the remaining cells. Each will subtract the value in $B$8.

example of filling the column using fill handle

Alternative Method: Paste Special

Another way to subtract the same number is with Paste Special. This method is effective when you don’t want to create formulas.

  1. Copy the cell containing the number you want to subtract (for example, cell D1).
    Copy the cell containing the number to subtract
  2. Select the range of cells where you want to perform the subtraction (A1:A6).
  3. Right-click and select “Paste Special”.
    Select the range of cells and choose paste special
  4. In the “Paste Special” dialog box, choose “Subtract” under “Operation”, then click “OK”.
    choose subtract in the paste special dialog

This method directly subtracts the copied number from each of the selected cells.

Using these methods, you can handle your subtraction tasks in Excel with flexibility and efficiency.