Calculate descriptive statistical values using both Excel and Python

Excel is an excellent tool to perform data analysis and has numerous statistical functions that can be used to make calculations on both descriptive and inferential statistics. The Python programming language is now a part of the Excel 365 package and this new plug-in can be used as a compliment to Excel’s functionality as a multipurpose spreadsheet.

In this post I intend to cover the Excel and Python functions that are a part of descriptive statistics.

Descriptive statistics summarises and describes the main features of a dataset. It uses the data to provide descriptions of the population or sample, either through numerical calculations, graphs, or tables. It mainly focuses on the main characteristics of data, providing a graphical summary of it. Descriptive statistics is a method to describe and understand the features of a specific dataset by giving short summaries about the sample and measure of the data.

In quantitative research, the first step after collecting the data of the statistical analysis is to describe characteristics of the responses, such as the average of one variable or the relationship between two variables.