Running Total in Excel: a cumulative sum that grows down the column

A running total shows the sum so far on every row: 100, then 350, then 400. Great for bank balances, stock, year-to-date sales.

The formula

Amounts in B2 downward. In C2:

=SUM($B$2:B2)

Copy down. The start is locked with $, the end moves: row 3 sums B2:B3, row 4 sums B2:B4, and so on. This half-locked range is the whole trick — more on $ in absolute references.

Balance with money in and out

Deposits in B, withdrawals in C, opening balance in D1:

=D1+B2-C2

in D2, copied down. Each row uses the balance above it.

Running total by group

Restart the total for each customer (names in A):

=SUMIF($A$2:A2,A2,$B$2:B2)

Sort by customer first so each group is together.

In an Excel Table

Tables do not like the half-locked trick when rows are sorted. Use:

=SUM(INDEX([Amount],1):[@Amount])

In a pivot table

Right-click a value › Show Values As › Running Total In › choose the date field. No formula at all. See pivot tables.

Check it worked

The last running total must equal =SUM(B:B). If not, a row in the middle has a typed number instead of the formula.