April growth over March, even when March is empty (IFERROR)
The problem
Problem statement
Revenue by month is in A2:B5. Put April's month-over-month growth in the April growth cell D2, as a decimal. March is occasionally missing in the export, and a report cannot show an error.
If the base month is 0 or blank, the answer must be 0 — not #DIV/0!.
Problem data
Show the sheet as a table (selectable, copyable)
| A | B | D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Month | Revenue | April growth |
| 2 | 2026-01 | 1000 | |
| 3 | 2026-02 | 1200 | |
| 4 | 2026-03 | 900 | |
| 5 | 2026-04 | 1350 |
Notes
Growth is (this − last) ÷ last. The guard is the point: IFERROR turns a zero denominator into a number the report can print. Growth against zero is undefined, and 0 is the conventional placeholder — say so rather than letting a spreadsheet choose for you.
How to approach
Your answer goes in D2.
- Target cell is D2
- Numerator: B5 - B4
- Denominator: B4, which can be zero
- Shape: =IFERROR(?, ?)
Function guide
FAQ
How do I calculate month-over-month growth?
(current − previous) ÷ previous. Keep it as a decimal and format the cell as a percentage.
What should growth be when the previous month is zero?
Mathematically undefined. Pick a convention — 0 or blank — and wrap the division in IFERROR so an export gap cannot break the report.