{"id":30271,"date":"2023-08-04T08:55:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T06:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/?p=30271"},"modified":"2024-02-06T16:21:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T15:21:40","slug":"subtraction-in-excel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/subtraction-in-excel\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-30351\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365-1024x576.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Copy-of-Copy-of-MICROSOFT-365.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Microsoft Excel is a powerful <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/free-excel-templates-and-spreadsheets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"spreadsheet\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">spreadsheet<\/a> tool that can be used to<strong> handle data and make informed decisions<\/strong>. Among the vast array of functions, <strong>Subtraction<\/strong> in Excel is one of <strong>four basic arithmetic operators <\/strong>that enable users to subtract values and perform various calculations.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we will cover the following in detail &#8211;<\/p>\n<div class=\"contents\">\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#1\"><strong>Introduction to Subtraction in Excel<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2\"><strong>#1 &#8211; Subtract Cells in Excel<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3\"><strong>#2 &#8211; Subtract Dates in Excel<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4\"><strong>#3 &#8211; Subtract Time in Excel<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#5\">#4 &#8211; Subtract Percentage in Excel<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#6\"><strong>#5 &#8211; Subtract same number from range of numbers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Download the Excel Workbook below to follow along and understand how to use subtraction in Excel \u2013 <a class=\"IRPP_minimalist icon-download\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel.xlsx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span class=\"ctaText px-3 text-capitalize\"><strong>download excel workbook<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"postTitle px-3\">Subtraction-in-Excel.xlsx<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"1\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">Introduction to Subtraction in Excel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There is a <strong>no-inbuilt <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/top-excel-formulas-function-examples-to-get-better-at-microsoft-excel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"formula\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">formula<\/a><\/strong> that can be used to subtract in Excel. But, we can use the <strong>minus (-) operator to subtract values<\/strong> and allow users to find differences between numbers, dates, time values, and even percentages.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>syntax<\/strong> for Subtraction in Excel is &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><strong>=Number1 &#8211; Number2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>where, number1 and number2 can be numbers, cell references, dates, times, percentages, or any other mathematical expression.<\/p>\n<p>For <strong>example<\/strong>, we can subtract 50 from 200 by using the following steps below &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 1:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the <strong>equal to sign (=)<\/strong> to begin the formula<\/p>\n<p><strong>=<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-1.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30278 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-1.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"599\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-1.png 599w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-1-300x142.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 2:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the<strong> number from which another number is to be subtracted<\/strong> i.e. 200<\/p>\n<p><strong>= 200<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-2.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30279 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-2.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"675\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-2.png 675w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-2-300x128.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 3:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the <strong>minus operator (-)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>=200 &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-3.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30280 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-3.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"671\" height=\"285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-3.png 671w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-3-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 671px) 100vw, 671px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 5:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Enter the <strong>number to be subtracted<\/strong> i.e. 50.<\/p>\n<p><strong>= 200 &#8211; 50<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-4.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30281 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-4.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"674\" height=\"287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-4.png 674w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-4-300x128.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After subtracting 50 from 200, the result i.e. 150 will be displayed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-5.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30282 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-5.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"670\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-5.png 670w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-5-300x130.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"2\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">#1 &#8211; Subtract Cells in Excel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Instead of entering the number in the formula, we can use an<strong> alternative approach of using cell references<\/strong>. By employing cell references, the formula becomes <strong>dynamic<\/strong> i.e. it can <strong>automatically update the value whenever a modification is made<\/strong>. This ensures <strong>flexibility<\/strong>, making it a preferred approach in Excel.<\/p>\n<p>Suppose we have <strong>actual expenses in one column (Column A) and budgeted expenses in another column<\/strong> (Column B) and we want to calculate the <strong>variance<\/strong> by using subtraction in Excel. Here, we can enter the numbers in the formula directly but it can lead to human error. Also, if there is any change in numbers later we will have to manually update the formula.<\/p>\n<p>So, it is advisable to use a cell reference. We can do so by following the steps below &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 1:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the <strong>equal to sign (=)<\/strong> to begin the formula<\/p>\n<p><strong>=<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-6.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30283 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-6.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"443\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-6.png 443w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-6-300x134.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 2:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the<strong> cell reference<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>containing the actual expenses<\/strong> i.e. A2<\/p>\n<p><strong>= A2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-7.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30284 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-7.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"446\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-7.png 446w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-7-300x136.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 3:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the <strong>minus operator (-)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>=A2 &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-8.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30285 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-8.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"452\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-8.png 452w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-8-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 5:<\/span><\/strong> Enter the<strong> cell reference containing the number to be subtracted<\/strong> i.e. B2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>= A2 &#8211; B2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-9.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30286 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-9.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"445\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-9.png 445w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-9-300x126.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After subtracting budgeted expenses from actual expenses, the variance between the two will be displayed in cell C2.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-10.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30287 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-10.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"449\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-10.png 449w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-10-300x124.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"3\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">#2 &#8211; Subtract Dates in Excel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/free-microsoft-excel-online-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Microsoft Excel\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">Microsoft Excel<\/a>, <strong>dates are treated as numerical values<\/strong> and are internally stored as serial numbers. The date serial number system starts from <strong>January 1, 1900, which is assigned the serial number 1<\/strong>. Serial numbers for dates increase sequentially based on the number of days that have passed since January 1, 1900.<\/p>\n<p>This is the reason why we can easily<strong> use the minus operator to subtract dates<\/strong> in Excel.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the following example: in cell A2, you have the start date (i.e. 01-Jan-2023), and in cell B2, you have the end date (i.e. 15-Feb-2023). To find the <strong>number of days between the two dates<\/strong>, you can use the formula:<\/p>\n<p><strong>= B2 &#8211; A2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-11.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30288 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-11.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"452\" height=\"189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-11.png 452w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-11-300x125.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Excel will automatically calculate the difference and display the <strong>result (45 days)<\/strong> in cell C2.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"4\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">#3 &#8211; Subtract Time in Excel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To<strong> subtract time<\/strong> in Excel, we can use the <strong>minus operator (-)<\/strong> just like we would with numbers and dates.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the following example: in cell A2, you have the <strong>start time (i.e. 6 AM)<\/strong>, and in cell B2, you have the<strong> end time (i.e. 12 PM)<\/strong>. To find the time difference, you can use the formula:<\/p>\n<p><strong>= B2 &#8211; A2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-12.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30289 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-12.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"450\" height=\"189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-12.png 450w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-12-300x126.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Excel will automatically calculate the difference and <strong>display the result (i.e. 0.25)<\/strong> in cell C1.<\/p>\n<p>In Excel, time is depicted in decimal format. For instance, 0.5 corresponds to 12 hours, indicating it represents half of a day. So, in this example, 0.25 corresponds to 6 hours i.e. a quarter of a day.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"5\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">#4 &#8211; Subtract Percentages in Excel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When we need to <strong>subtract one percentage from another<\/strong>, we can easily achieve it using the familiar minus formula. For example:<\/p>\n<p><strong>=100% &#8211; 30%<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-13.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30290 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-13.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"449\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-13.png 449w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-13-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, if you prefer <strong>entering the percentages in separate cells<\/strong>, you can use cell references to subtract them like this:<\/p>\n<p><strong>=A2 &#8211; B2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-14.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30291 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-14.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"429\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-14.png 429w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-14-300x115.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Both methods are effective in Excel and allow you to perform percentage calculations effortlessly.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span id=\"6\" style=\"color: #ff0000\">#5 &#8211; Subtract same number from range of numbers<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When working with a range of numbers, you might find a need to <strong>subtract a specific number from each cell in the column<\/strong>. While we can use manual calculations and subtract them individually from each cell, Excel&#8217;s &#8220;<strong>Paste Special<\/strong>&#8221; feature provides a quick and efficient way to accomplish this task.<\/p>\n<p>To subtract one number from a column of numbers using Paste Special in Excel, follow these <strong>steps<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 1:<\/span><\/strong> Copy the<strong> number you want to subtract<\/strong>. Here, it is 299 entered in cell D2.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-15.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30292 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-15.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"588\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-15.png 588w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-15-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 2:<\/span><\/strong> <strong>Select the range of cells<\/strong> that you want to subtract from. Here, it is B2:B10.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-16.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30293 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-16.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"578\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-16.png 578w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-16-300x199.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 578px) 100vw, 578px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 3:<\/span><\/strong> Right-click on the selected range of cells and choose <strong>Paste Special<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-17.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30294 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-17.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"743\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-17.png 743w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-17-300x248.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">STEP 4:<\/span><\/strong> In the Paste Special dialog box, choose <strong>Subtract<\/strong>. Click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-18.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30295 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-18.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"542\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-18.png 542w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-18-300x226.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Excel will <strong>subtract the number you copied (i.e. 299 ) from each cell in the selected range<\/strong> and display the result.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-19.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\"  class=\"alignnone wp-image-30296 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-19.png\" alt=\"5 Simple Methods to use Subtraction in Excel\" width=\"584\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-19.png 584w, https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Subtraction-in-Excel-19-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">Conclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Subtraction in Excel is one of the <strong>basic arithmetic operations<\/strong> that can be used to <strong>find differences between numbers, dates, time values, and percentages<\/strong>. Users can either <strong>directly subtract values or use cell references<\/strong> to create dynamic <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/blog\/top-excel-formulas-function-examples-to-get-better-at-microsoft-excel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"formulas\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">formulas<\/a> for automated updates.<\/p>\n<p>Excel also offers the <strong>Paste Special feature<\/strong> to quickly<strong> subtract the same number from a range of numbers in a column<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-au\/office\/add-and-subtract-numbers-c3f02baa-5142-40d6-86e3-70ac0a8de9be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><strong>Click here<\/strong><\/a> to learn more about how to use subtraction in Excel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet tool that can be used to handle data and make informed decisions. Among the vast array of functions, Subtraction in Excel is one of four basic arithmetic operators that enable users to subtract values and perform various calculations. In this article, we will cover the following in detail &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[1311,1312,1310],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myexcelonline.com\/meo-staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}