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ROUNDUP Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Math Beginner LibreOffice Calc Introduction not established

The ROUNDUP function in LibreOffice Calc rounds a number up and away from zero to a specified number of decimal places. Learn syntax, examples, common errors, and best practices.

Verification status: Consult the documentation, examples and any stated test scope below. How formula examples are checked

Availability and version history

  • Introduced: Documented by LibreOffice 26.8.1.1; original introduction not established.
  • Availability: Supported in LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, verified against its function registry. This identifies a supported release, not a final working version.
  • Scope: Desktop Calc, using the English function name. Availability in other spreadsheet applications is separate.
  • Checked: 2026-10-14 — function reference; versioned support. Documentation/source check; not a new native test. Existing example-specific test claims below retain their stated scope.
The **ROUNDUP** function rounds a number up and away from zero in LibreOffice Calc. Unlike `ROUND`, which follows standard rounding rules, and `ROUNDDOWN`, which rounds toward zero, `ROUNDUP` always increases the magnitude of the number. This makes it ideal for financial modeling, capacity planning, and any scenario where rounding up is required.

What the ROUNDUP Function Does

  • Rounds numbers away from zero
  • Supports rounding to whole numbers, decimals, or large place values
  • Works with positive and negative numbers
  • Useful for financial calculations, capacity planning, and conservative estimates
  • Works with cell references, formulas, and expressions

It is designed to be predictable, directional, and universally compatible.

Syntax

ROUNDUP(number; digits)

Arguments

  • number:
    The numeric value to round.

  • digits:
    The number of decimal places to keep.

    • Positive → round up to decimal places
    • Zero → round up to nearest integer
    • Negative → round up to tens, hundreds, etc.

Basic Examples

Round up to 2 decimal places

=ROUNDUP(12.341; 2)

Returns 12.35.

Round up to the nearest whole number

=ROUNDUP(5.1; 0)

Returns 6.

Round up a negative number (away from zero)

=ROUNDUP(-3.1; 0)

Returns -4.

ROUNDUP with a cell reference

=ROUNDUP(A1; 1)

Rounds A1 up to one decimal place.

Advanced Examples

Round up to tens (negative digits)

=ROUNDUP(123.45; -1)

Returns 130.

Round up to hundreds

=ROUNDUP(987.65; -2)

Returns 1000.

ROUNDUP vs ROUNDDOWN vs ROUND

=ROUNDUP(5.2; 0)

Returns 6.

=ROUNDDOWN(5.2; 0)

Returns 5.

=ROUND(5.2; 0)

Returns 5.

ROUNDUP for financial modeling

=ROUNDUP(A1 * 1.13; 2)

Useful for conservative tax or interest calculations.

ROUNDUP for capacity planning

=ROUNDUP(A1 / 12; 0)

Rounds up to the next whole unit (e.g., boxes, pallets, batches).

ROUNDUP with division

=ROUNDUP(A1 / B1; 3)

Rounds the result of the division away from zero.

Common Errors and Fixes

ROUNDUP returns 0 unexpectedly

Possible causes:

  • digits is too large
  • number is extremely small
  • number is stored as text

Fix:
Convert text to numbers using:
Data → Text to Columns → OK

ROUNDUP returns unexpected results with negative numbers

Cause:

  • Rounding always moves away from zero, not up.

Example:
ROUNDUP(-5.1; 0) → -6

Err:502 — Invalid argument

Occurs when:

  • digits is non‑numeric
  • number is non‑numeric text
  • a formula returns an error passed into ROUNDUP

Fix:
Wrap the expression with IFERROR:
IFERROR(ROUNDUP(A1; 2); 0)

Best Practices

  • Use ROUNDUP when you need conservative or capacity‑based rounding
  • Use ROUNDDOWN when rounding should move toward zero
  • Use ROUND for standard rounding rules
  • Use ROUNDUP with negative digits for coarse rounding upward
  • Avoid rounding too early in multi‑step calculations
ROUNDUP is ideal for inventory, logistics, and financial models where rounding up prevents shortages or underestimation.
  • Use ROUNDDOWN to round toward zero
  • Use ROUND for standard rounding
  • Use TRUNC to remove decimals without rounding
  • Use FLOOR and CEILING for significance‑based rounding
  • Use INT for rounding down toward negative infinity

By mastering ROUNDUP and its combinations with other math functions, you can build precise, predictable numeric models in LibreOffice Calc that maintain consistent directional behavior.

Reproducible example (tested in LibreOffice Calc)

This standalone example was calculated in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.3.2 and matched the expected value. It is a practical cross-check of one usage, not proof that every example elsewhere on this page is correct.

=ROUNDUP(1.21;1)

Expected result: 1.3.

Round away from zero while retaining one decimal place.

If the result differs, check the referenced cells, argument separators and number formatting. For more information, consult the LibreOffice Calc official help.