How do you calculate NPS?

NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors. Promoters scored 9 or 10, Detractors scored 0–6, and Passives (7–8) are excluded from the math but kept in the denominator. The result is a single number from −100 to +100. Example: 60% promoters, 20% detractors → NPS of +40.

How is NPS calculated when passives are included?

Passives are always included in the denominator (the total response count) but never in the numerator. Excluding them entirely inflates the score; including them as half-promoters or half-detractors is a non-standard variant that breaks comparability with every published benchmark.

How do I calculate NPS in Excel or Google Sheets?

With raw 0–10 scores in column A, NPS = (COUNTIF(A:A,">=9")/COUNTA(A:A) − COUNTIF(A:A,"<=6")/COUNTA(A:A)) * 100. Drop the *100 if you want it expressed as a decimal. The same formula works in Google Sheets.

How many responses do I need before NPS is meaningful?

For a stable headline score, aim for at least 100 responses per reporting period; for segment cuts (per location, per technician, per product line) aim for 30+ per segment. Below those thresholds, the score moves dramatically with a handful of responses and shouldn't be reported without a sample-size disclaimer.

Can NPS be calculated on a 1–5 or 1–7 scale?

Not without breaking comparability. NPS is defined on a 0–10 scale by Bain & Company. If you collect a 1–5 score, you're really measuring CSAT — convert it to a satisfaction percentage rather than calling it NPS.

Should NPS be reported as a number or a percentage?

Always as a whole number from −100 to +100, with no percent sign. Reporting NPS as a percentage is one of the most common executive-deck mistakes and signals to a sophisticated reader that the program isn't well-run.

How to Calculate NPS: Formula, Worked Example & Free Calculator

Q: How many responses do I need before NPS is meaningful?

For a stable headline score, aim for at least 100 responses per reporting period; for segment cuts (per location, per technician, per product line) aim for 30+ per segment. Below those thresholds, the score moves dramatically with a handful of responses and shouldn't be reported without a sample-size disclaimer.

Q: Can NPS be calculated on a 1–5 or 1–7 scale?

Not without breaking comparability. NPS is defined on a 0–10 scale by Bain & Company. If you collect a 1–5 score, you're really measuring CSAT — convert it to a satisfaction percentage rather than calling it NPS.

Q: Should NPS be reported as a number or a percentage?

Always as a whole number from −100 to +100, with no percent sign. Reporting NPS as a percentage is one of the most common executive-deck mistakes and signals to a sophisticated reader that the program isn't well-run.

Net Promoter Score is the most-cited customer experience metric in the world, but the calculation trips up more teams than it should. This guide walks through the exact formula, a worked example with real numbers, the spreadsheet version, and the four mistakes that most often produce a wrong score.

The NPS formula

NPS = % Promoters − % Detractors

Three response bands, defined by the answer to the "0–10, how likely are you to recommend us?" question:

Promoters — scored 9 or 10. Loyal enthusiasts who will refer.
Passives — scored 7 or 8. Satisfied but unenthusiastic; vulnerable to competitors.
Detractors — scored 0 through 6. Unhappy customers who can damage your brand.

The result is a whole number from −100 (everyone is a detractor) to +100 (everyone is a promoter). It is not a percentage and is never written with a percent sign.

Worked example

Suppose 200 customers responded to your NPS survey. Here is the score distribution:

Score	Responses	Band
9–10	120	Promoters
7–8	50	Passives
0–6	30	Detractors

% Promoters = 120 / 200 = 60%

% Detractors = 30 / 200 = 15%

NPS = 60 − 15 = +45

Notice the passives never appear in the numerator, but they are always counted in the denominator. That's why ignoring passives entirely is the most common mistake — it inflates the score by 10 to 25 points.

How to calculate NPS in Excel or Google Sheets

If you have raw 0–10 scores in column A starting at row 2, this single-cell formula returns NPS:

=(COUNTIF(A:A,">=9")/COUNTA(A:A) - COUNTIF(A:A,"<=6")/COUNTA(A:A)) * 100

Or as three intermediate cells, which makes the math reviewable:

B1: =COUNTIF(A:A,">=9")/COUNTA(A:A)    // % promoters
B2: =COUNTIF(A:A,"<=6")/COUNTA(A:A)    // % detractors
B3: =(B1-B2)*100                       // NPS

Both versions work identically in Google Sheets. If your responses include blanks or text headers, swap COUNTA(A:A) for COUNT(A:A) to count only numeric cells.

Skip the spreadsheet — use the free calculator

If you'd rather just paste in counts or raw scores and get the number, the free AwareCX NPS Calculator handles both inputs in your browser. Nothing is stored on a server.

Four mistakes that produce a wrong NPS

Excluding passives from the denominator. They count as responses; they just don't count as promoters or detractors. Removing them is the single most common error.
Rounding inputs before the subtraction. Round once at the end. Rounding both percentages first can shift the score by 1–2 points.
Reporting NPS as a percentage. "Our NPS is 45%" tells a sophisticated reader the program isn't well run. Write it as a whole number: NPS of +45.
Mixing transactional and relationship responses. Both are valid, but pooling them produces a score that means nothing. Keep them in separate datasets.

Once you have the number, what's next?

A score by itself doesn't tell you what to do. The three things that turn NPS into a program are segmentation (per location, per technician, per product), trend (rolling 4-week or rolling 90-day on the same chart as sample size), and closed-loop follow-up with every detractor. Each of those is covered in its own guide:

NPS benchmarks by industry — what counts as a good score in your category
What is a good NPS score? — universal bands and how to set a target
Closing the loop framework — turning detractors into recoveries
How to increase survey response rates

Frequently asked questions

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