Most of the time when you run statistics, you want to use statistical software. These tools are built to do calculations like t-tests, chi-square tests, correlations, and so on.Excel isn’t meant for data analysis. Most of Excel’s statistical procedures are part of the Data Analysis tool pack, which is in the Tools menu. It includes a variety of choices including simple descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations, 1 or 2-way analysis of variance, regression, etc.
If you need to develop complex statistical or engineering analyses, you can save steps and time by using the Analysis ToolPak. You provide the data and parameters for each analysis, and the tool uses the appropriate statistical or engineering macro functions to calculate and display the results in an output table. Some tools generate charts in addition to output tables.
The data analysis functions can be used on only one worksheet at a time. When you perform data analysis on grouped worksheets, results will appear on the first worksheet and empty formatted tables will appear on the remaining worksheets. To perform data analysis on the remainder of the worksheets, recalculate the analysis tool for each worksheet.
Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the Add-Ins category.
If you're using Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Excel Options
In the Manage box, select Excel Add-ins and then click Go.
If you're using Excel for Mac, in the file menu go to Tools > Excel Add-ins.
In the Add-Ins box, check the Analysis ToolPak check box, and then click OK.
If Analysis ToolPak is not listed in the Add-Ins available box, click Browse to locate it.
If you are prompted that the Analysis ToolPak is not currently installed on your computer, click Yes to install it.
Note: To include Visual Basic for Application (VBA) functions for the Analysis ToolPak, you can load the Analysis ToolPak - VBA Add-in the same way that you load the Analysis ToolPak. In the Add-ins available box, select the Analysis ToolPak - VBA check box.
Note: The Analysis ToolPak is not available for Excel for Mac 2011. See I can't find the Analysis ToolPak in Excel for Mac 2011 for more information.
Follow these steps to load the Analysis ToolPak in Excel 2016 for Mac:
Click the Tools menu, and then click Excel Add-ins.
In the Add-Ins available box, select the Analysis ToolPak check box, and then click OK.
If Analysis ToolPak is not listed in the Add-Ins available box, click Browse to locate it.
If you get a prompt that the Analysis ToolPak is not currently installed on your computer, click Yes to install it.
Quit and restart Excel.
Now the Data Analysis command is available on the Data tab.
I can't find the Analysis ToolPak in Excel for Mac 2011
There are a few third-party add-ins that provide Analysis ToolPak functionality for Excel 2011.
Option 1: Download the XLSTAT add-on statistical software for Mac and use it in Excel 2011. XLSTAT contains more than 200 basic and advanced statistical tools that include all of the Analysis ToolPak features.
Go to the XLSTAT download page.
Select the XLSTAT version that matches your Mac OS and download it.
Follow the MAC OS installation instructions.
Open the Excel file that contains your data and click on the XLSTAT icon to launch the XLSTAT toolbar.
For 30 days, you'll have access to all XLSTAT functions. After 30 days you will be able to use the free version that includes the Analysis ToolPak functions, or order one of the more complete solutions of XLSTAT.
Option 2: Download StatPlus:mac LE for free from AnalystSoft, and then use StatPlus:mac LE with Excel 2011.
Add Descriptive Statistics To Excel
You can use StatPlus:mac LE to perform many of the functions that were previously available in the Analysis ToolPak, such as regressions, histograms, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and t-tests.
Visit the AnalystSoft Web site, and then follow the instructions on the download page.
After you have downloaded and installed StatPlus:mac LE, open the workbook that contains the data that you want to analyze.
Open StatPlus:mac LE. The functions are located on the StatPlus:mac LE menus.
Important:
Excel 2011 does not include Help for XLStat or StatPlus:mac LE. Help for XLStat is provided by XLSTAT. Help for StatPlus:mac LE is provided by AnalystSoft.
Microsoft does not provide support for either product.
Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community, get support in the Answers community, or suggest a new feature or improvement on Excel User Voice.
See Also
The Data Analysis command in Excel also includes a Random Number Generation tool. The Random Number Generation tool is considerably more flexible than the function, which is the other tool that you have available within Excel to produce random numbers.
The Random Number Generation tool isn’t really a tool for descriptive statistics. You would probably typically use the tool to help you randomly sample values from a population, but it’s described here because it works like the other descriptive statistics tools.
Media Concern
To produce random numbers, take the following steps:
How To Descriptive Statistics Excel
To generate random numbers, first click the Data tab’s Data Analysis command button.
Excel displays the Data Analysis dialog box.
In the Data Analysis dialog box, select the Random Number Generation entry from the list and then click OK.
Excel displays the Random Number Generation dialog box.
Describe how many columns and rows of values that you want.
Use the Number of Variables text box to specify how many columns of values you want in your output range. Similarly, use the Number of Random Numbers text box to specify how many rows of values you want in the output range.
You don’t absolutely need to enter values into these two text boxes, by the way. You can also leave them blank. In this case, Excel fills all the columns and all the rows in the output range.
Select the distribution method.
Select one of the distribution methods from the Distribution drop-down list. The Distribution drop-down list provides several distribution methods: Uniform, Normal, Bernoulli, Binomial, Poisson, Patterned, and Discrete. Typically, if you want a pattern of distribution other than Uniform, you’ll know which one of these distribution methods is appropriate.
(Optional) Provide any parameters needed for the distribution method.
If you select a distribution method that requires parameters, or input values, use the Parameters text box (Value and Probability Input Range) to identify the worksheet range that holds the parameters needed for the distribution method.
(Optional) Select a starting point for the random number generation.
You have the option of entering a value that Excel will use to start its generation of random numbers. The benefit of using a Random Seed value, as Excel calls it, is that you can later produce the same set of random numbers by planting the same “seed.”
Identify the output range.
Use the Output Options radio buttons to select the location that you want for random numbers.
After you describe how you want Excel to generate random numbers and where those numbers should be placed, click OK.
Excel generates the random numbers.