Calculator

Standard Deviation Calculator

Calculate the standard deviation and mean of a set of numbers. Enter the values separated by commas to see the population and sample standard deviation.

Mean16.8
Population std. deviation
5.42
Sample std. deviation6.06
Count5

How it works

Standard deviation measures how spread out the numbers are from the mean. Population deviation divides by N; sample deviation divides by N−1.

σ = √(Σ(x − μ)² ÷ N)

Worked examples

  • Example

    For 10, 12, 23, 23, 16 the mean is 16.8 and the population standard deviation is about 5.42.

Frequently asked questions

What is standard deviation?

It measures how much a set of numbers varies from their average — a higher value means more spread.

Population vs sample?

Use population when you have all values; use sample when your numbers are a sample of a larger group (divides by n−1).

What does a high standard deviation mean?

The values are more spread out from the mean; a low one means they cluster close to the average.

Related calculators