Using Subtotals and Grouping in Excel

Mastering subtotals and grouping in Excel can significantly enhance your data analysis capabilities, allowing you to organize and summarize information efficiently. Here's a straightforward guide to help you get started:

Understanding Subtotals and Grouping:

Subtotals: This feature enables you to calculate summaries (like sums, averages, counts) for grouped data within your worksheet.
Grouping: This allows you to collapse or expand sections of your data, making large datasets more manageable by focusing on specific parts without distraction.

How to Insert Subtotals:

Prepare Your Data:
- Ensure your data is organized in a tabular format with clear headers.
- Sort your data by the column you intend to group by, as subtotals are added at each change in this column.
Add Subtotals:
- Select any cell within your dataset.
- Navigate to the 'Data' tab on the ribbon.
- Click on the 'Subtotal' command.
- In the Subtotal dialog box:
  - Choose the column for grouping in the 'At each change in' dropdown.
  - Select the function for your subtotal (e.g., SUM, COUNT) in the 'Use function' dropdown.
  - Check the columns where you want the subtotal results to appear.
- Click 'OK' to apply. Excel will automatically insert subtotal rows and create an outline for your data.

How to Group Data:

Manual Grouping:
- Select the rows or columns you wish to group.
- Go to the 'Data' tab.
- Click on the 'Group' button in the Outline group.
- Choose 'Rows' or 'Columns' based on your selection.
Automatic Grouping with Subtotals:
- When you use the Subtotal feature, Excel automatically groups your data based on the settings you choose, allowing you to collapse or expand sections easily.

Managing Groups and Subtotals:

Viewing Different Levels:
- Use the outline symbols (- and +) or the numbered buttons at the top left of your worksheet to collapse or expand data groups.
Removing Subtotals:
- Click any cell within the subtotaled data.
- Go to the 'Data' tab and click 'Subtotal.'
- In the dialog box, click 'Remove All' to eliminate all subtotals and grouping.

Tips:

Ensure your data is sorted correctly before adding subtotals to achieve accurate grouping.
You can nest subtotals by adding multiple layers, but this requires careful planning to maintain clarity.

Here is a link of an external video on Youtube that can help you to understand better the concepts on this guide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JJOBFSHbZk

Please note that this video was not created on Unger, and we are not the owners or responsible of the content.