Getting #DIV/0!, how to get 0%?

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Guest

I'm getting #DIV/0! with the following formula, the cell is format as a
percent. Thanks

=(E34-D34)/E34
E34 = 0
D34 = 0
Result should be 0%
 
=IF(E34-D34=0,0,IF(E34=0,"infinite % difference",(E34-D34)/E34))

Note that with the formulae which some other contributors have suggested,
you would get the same answer for an input of D34=99 and E34=0 as you would
get for D34 and E34 both 99. Is that what you want?
 
Hi David,
I have the same problem as above, but my formula is slightly different:
=(J37-C37)/ABS(C37). I compare two values and want to get the percentage of
increase or decrease between the two. Sometimes one of the values (or both)
is zero, and then it gives an error. I Tried the advice given above but I
must do something wrong as it still gives an error. Thanks for helping me.
Kaimarja
 
"... it still gives an error" isn't very specific. You haven't told us what
formula you are using, so we can't tell you what you've done wrong.

If instead of =(E34-D34)/E34 you wanted to start from =(J37-C37)/ABS(C37),
then instead of
=IF(E34-D34=0,0,IF(E34=0,"infinite % difference",(E34-D34)/E34))
you would end up with
=IF(J37-C37=0,0,IF(C37=0,"infinite % difference",(J37-C37)/ABS(C37)))
If you want the result as a percentage, format the cell with a percentage
format to suit your requirements.
Is that the formula you were using? If so, what input values did you have
in J37 and C37, what result did you get, and what result did you expect?
 
Hi David, Thanks for the reply. Sorry for not being specific enough. Here are
the answers to your questions:

I use the formula =(J37-C37)/ABS(C37), C being last years value and J being
this years value.
The value in C37 is 0 and the value in J37 is 70 .
The result cell is formatted to give a % and in all the other result cells
when the formula does not refer to cells containing 0, I get a correct answer
but not in the above case, where last year's cell contains a 0. The result
shows as #DIV/0!

What I want is that when last year I had 0 and this year I have 70, the
result of my formula should show a % of increase.
I tried to copy and paste the formula you propose in your answer, but I
still get an error message from excel "The formula you typed contains an
error".

Of course I understand I'm asking my formula to calculate a % of 0, which is
illogical, but I wondered whether there was a way around it.

Thanks for your help.
Kai
 
You can't "show a % of increase", since it's mathematically undefined,
but you can show a default value:

=IF(C37=0, "undefined", J37/C37 - 1)

or

=IF(C37=0, 1, J37/C37 - 1)
 
If you copied and pasted (rather than retyped) my formula
=IF(J37-C37=0,0,IF(C37=0,"infinite % difference",(J37-C37)/ABS(C37))) and
Excel reported "The formula you typed contains an error", then I can only
assume that you are working with Windows Regional Options that are looking
for a semi-colon, rather than a comma, as a list separator?
If so, you ought to use
=IF(J37-C37=0;0;IF(C37=0;"infinite % difference";(J37-C37)/ABS(C37)))

If you are still getting a problem, copy and paste the formula from your
formula bar to the newsgroup.

You are right that a percentage of zero is illogical, hence the various
suggestions for reporting the situation, such as my "infinite % difference"
result.
 
This formula is all fine and dandy to get zero... now what about when you put
numbers in those boxes... it still returns zero
 
You haven't told us which formula, so we can't help you.
If you are referring to a formula in a previous message, you need to quote
enough of the previous message(s) to put your reply into context.
 
Reading your solution to subject topic. I have a similar situation where
AO=units sold and AP=units returned. In trying to get the return rate
percentage, I must divide AP by AO. However, if 0 units sold and 1 unit
returned, what formula would give me the high return rate that I need to show
when I can't divide by 0? I was using the formula =IF(AP2=0,0,AP2/AO2). This
works for all except those with 0 in AO or units sold column. I need to see
at least a 100% return rate when AO=0 and AP=1 or more. Can you help?

Thank you.
 
Hi Fred,

Thank you for your response. However, it's the AP2/AO2 where AO=0 that is
the problem. I believe that I resolved the issue using
=IF(AP2=0,0,IF(AO2=0,1,AP2/AO2). This seemed to result in the percentage I
was looking for. Your solution was the second part of the formula I ended up
using.

My best.
K@MJP
 
Yes, your formula checked only AP2 for zero. But the error is dividing by
zero, so you need to check the divisor, AO2, for zero.

Regards,
Fred.
 
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