How many people use Excel?
An estimated 1.1–1.5 billion people use Microsoft Excel worldwide, part of roughly 5 billion spreadsheet users overall. Around 54% of businesses globally use Excel.
The numbers
Microsoft Excel ships with Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365, whose user base is measured in the billions. Estimates of active Excel users cluster in the 1.1–1.5 billion range. Counting every kind of spreadsheet — Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, LibreOffice Calc and others — takes the total to roughly 5 billion people.
On the business side, a widely-cited market study found that about 54% of all businesses globally use Excel, making it one of the most pervasive pieces of software in the working world.
Source & methodology
These figures are compiled in The State of Spreadsheets 2026 from Microsoft's published Office/365 user-base disclosures and third-party market research. Because "active user" definitions vary between sources, the Excel figure is best read as a range rather than a single exact count.
Sources: Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365 user-base disclosures; market-share research summarised in The State of Spreadsheets 2026 (DataHub Pro).
Why it matters
Excel's reach is exactly why spreadsheet reliability and reporting speed matter so much: a tool used by a billion-plus people carries a billion-plus opportunities for manual error and wasted time. That is the problem DataHub Pro exists to solve.
Frequently asked
How many people use Excel worldwide?
An estimated 1.1–1.5 billion people use Microsoft Excel worldwide, as part of roughly 5 billion spreadsheet users across all spreadsheet software.
What percentage of businesses use Excel?
About 54% of businesses globally use Microsoft Excel, according to widely-cited market research summarised in The State of Spreadsheets 2026.
Is Excel still the most used spreadsheet?
Yes. Despite the growth of Google Sheets and other tools, Excel remains the most widely used spreadsheet application in business.
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