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CORREL Function

Excel 2007+

Summary

The Excel CORREL function calculates the correlation coefficient between two data sets, measuring the strength and direction of their linear relationship. Values range from -1 to +1, where 1 indicates perfect positive correlation, -1 perfect negative correlation, and 0 no linear relationship.

Syntax

CORREL(array1, array2)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
array1	`Range`	Yes	Required range of numeric values for first dataset
array2	`Range`	Yes	Required range of numeric values for second dataset (must match array1 size)

Using the CORREL Function

CORREL is invaluable for data analysts examining relationships between variables. Use it to identify patterns like sales vs advertising spend, temperature vs energy usage, or test scores vs study hours. The result helps predict behaviors and supports data-driven decisions.

Common CORREL Examples

Basic Correlation Analysis

=CORREL(A2:A10, B2:B10)

Calculates correlation between monthly sales (A2:A10) and advertising spend (B2:B10). Result near 1 shows strong positive relationship.

Marketing ROI Analysis

=CORREL(B2:B13, C2:C13)

Measures relationship between marketing budget (B) and website traffic (C). Helps justify marketing investments.

Error Handling Example

=IFERROR(CORREL(D2:D20,E2:E20), "Data mismatch")

Safely calculates correlation with fallback message if arrays don't match.

Frequently Asked Questions

A result of 0.85 indicates strong positive correlation - as one variable increases, the other tends to increase proportionally.

#N/A occurs when array1 and array2 have different numbers of data points. Both ranges must contain the same count.

Yes, CORREL ignores text, logical values, and empty cells but includes zero values in calculations.

Common Errors and Solutions

#N/A Error

Cause: array1 and array2 have different numbers of data points

Solution: Ensure both ranges contain exactly the same number of cells

#DIV/0! Error

Cause: One or both arrays are empty, or standard deviation equals zero

Solution: Verify arrays contain numeric data with variation (not all identical values)

#VALUE! Error

Cause: Arrays contain incompatible data types

Solution: Use ranges with only numeric values

Notes

Correlation coefficient ranges from -1.0 (perfect negative) to +1.0 (perfect positive)
0 indicates no linear relationship
Zeros are included in calculations (unlike blanks)
Perfect for SEO analysis of keyword performance correlations

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365

Not available in:

Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+