Calculations Updated November 2026

Difference from previous

Right-click a value, choose Show Values As, Difference From (or % Difference From), set Base field to your period field (Years or Months) and Base item to (previous). Each cell then shows the change versus the prior period; the first period is blank because it has nothing before it.

Syntax

Right-click a value > Show Values As > Difference From > Base field: Years, Base item: (previous)

Part	What it is
`Difference From`	Absolute change, this period minus base
`% Difference From`	Relative change, (this minus base) divided by base
`Base field`	The field whose items you compare across, usually the date grouping
`Base item`	(previous), (next) or a fixed item such as 2024

Examples

Rows: Department. Columns: Years. Values: Sum of Revenue, Sum of Revenue (% Difference From, Years, (previous))

Result: Each department shows 2024, 2025 revenue and the percent growth in the 2025 column; the 2024 growth cell is blank.

Rows: Months. Values: Sum of Revenue (Difference From, Months, (previous))

Result: Month-on-month change in revenue, positive or negative.

Columns: Years. Values: Sum of Revenue (Difference From, Years, 2024)

Result: Every year compared with 2024 as a fixed baseline.

Common mistakes

The Grand Total column is blank: differences have no meaning across all years, so Excel leaves it empty.
You picked the wrong base field (Department instead of Years) and get odd numbers: the base field must be the period field.
Negative growth shows without a sign in the chart: format the number as 0.0%;-0.0% to force the minus.
Growth is blank for every year: the years are text labels, not a grouped date, so (previous) cannot be determined; group a real date field.

Practice Difference from previous

These drills check your answer on live data, free, no account needed.

Year over year by departmentShow total Amount with Department down the side and each year across the top.
Revenue by monthShow total Revenue for each month of 2025.

Questions

How do I calculate year over year in a pivot table?

Put the grouped Years in Columns, add the value twice, and set the second to % Difference From with Base field Years and Base item (previous).

Can I compare to the same month last year?

Put Years in Columns and Months in Rows, then use % Difference From on Years, (previous). Each month row compares across years.

Group dates by month, quarter and yearGroup a date field in a pivot table by months, quarters and years with right-click, Group, and get year by month breakdowns. Auto grouping, ungrouping, weeks.
Percent of grand totalShow each row as a share of the overall total with Show Values As, % of Grand Total. Add it next to the raw numbers, format it, compare with parent totals.
Running totalAdd a cumulative column to a pivot table with Show Values As, Running Total In, using the month field as the base. Includes % Running Total and yearly resets.
Calculated fieldInsert a calculated field with Fields, Items & Sets to compute margin, commission or price per unit from other fields. Formula rules, why averages go wrong.