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Some numbers having one or more decimal places may appear to rounded on your worksheet. If this isn't the result of applying a rounding function, this can happen when the column isn’t wide enough for the entire number. It can also occur when the format is set to show a smaller number of decimal places than the actual number contains.

If, for example, you enter a number in a cell with General formatting (the default for all cells on a new worksheet), then Excel automatically displays fewer decimal places so that the number fits within the width of an empty cell. The number in cell A1 below appears rounded, but the entire number is still visible in the formula bar at the top of the worksheet and used in calculations.

A rounded number in cell A1, with the entire number visible in the formula bar

To stop rounding the number in the cell, click the Increase Decimal button Button image on the Home tab until you reach the number of decimal places you need to display.

Increase Decimal button on the Home tab

As you increase the number of decimal places, the format changes from General to Number, and the column width adjusts automatically.

Note: If the column width doesn’t adjust and ######## appears in the cell, change the column width and row height by double-clicking the right border of the column header.

Increase the decimal places for a lot of numbers at once

If you have a lot of numbers that have been rounded, or to prevent numbers from appearing as rounded at all, you can increase the decimal places of a number format and then apply it to the numbers in your worksheet.

  1. On the Home tab, click Dialog box button next to Number.Dialog box button in the Number group on the Home tab

  2. In the Category list, pick the number format you want to use, making sure it has decimal places, like Number, Currency, Accounting, Percentage, or Scientific.

  3. In the Decimal places box, enter the number of decimal place you want to show, and click OK.

Increase the decimal places for a lot of numbers at once

If you have a lot of numbers that have been rounded, or to prevent numbers from appearing as rounded at all, you can increase the decimal places of a number format and then apply it to the numbers in your worksheet.

  1. On the Home tab, in the Number group, click the Number Format dropdown > More Number Formats.

  2. In the Category list, pick the number format you want to use, making sure it has decimal places, like Number, Currency, Accounting, Percentage, or Scientific.

  3. In the Decimal places box, enter the number of decimal place you want to show, and click OK.

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See Also

Round a number

Round a number to the decimal places I want

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