The STDEV function is meant to estimate standard deviation in a sample.
If data represents an entire population, use the STDEVP function.
Standard Deviation functions in Excel
The table below summarizes the standard deviation functions provided by Excel.
STDEV.S replaces the older STDEV function, with the same behavior.
STDEVP Function
The STDEVP function calculates the standard deviation for data that represents a population.
STDEVP has been replaced with a newer function called STDEV.P, which has the same behavior.
STDEV.P Function
The Excel STDEV.P function calculates the standard deviation for a sample set of data.
STDEV.P calculates standard deviation using the “n” method, ignoring logical values and text.
