What percentage of businesses use Excel?
About 54% of businesses globally use Microsoft Excel, according to widely-cited market research — making it one of the most pervasive business tools in the world.
The numbers
A widely-cited market study found that about 54% of all businesses globally use Excel. Combined with an estimated 1.1–1.5 billion individual Excel users and roughly 5 billion spreadsheet users of all kinds, this makes spreadsheets effectively universal in business.
Adoption is highest in finance, operations and administration, where Excel is the default tool for budgets, reporting, planning and ad-hoc analysis.
Source & methodology
The 54% figure is drawn from market-share research compiled in The State of Spreadsheets 2026. As with all adoption statistics, exact figures vary by survey methodology and region.
Source: market-share research summarised in The State of Spreadsheets 2026 (DataHub Pro).
Why it matters
Near-universal adoption means most businesses already have their data in spreadsheets — the bottleneck is turning that data into decisions quickly and reliably. That is precisely the gap modern analysis tools fill.
Frequently asked
What percentage of businesses use Excel?
About 54% of businesses globally use Microsoft Excel, according to widely-cited market research.
Is Excel used more than Google Sheets in business?
Yes. While Google Sheets has grown quickly, Excel remains the most widely adopted spreadsheet in business, especially in finance and operations.
How many businesses use spreadsheets in total?
When you include Google Sheets and other spreadsheet tools, the share of businesses using some spreadsheet is higher still — spreadsheets are effectively universal.
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