How to Sort Largest to Smallest in Excel Pivot Table?

Sharing is caring!

Sorting data in Excel pivot tables is crucial for better analysis and understanding. Sorting largest to smallest helps to prioritize and view data by its significance. Whether you are analyzing sales figures, customer demographics, or product performance, sorting your pivot table enables a more intuitive view of the data.

In this article, we will guide you step-by-step on how to sort data from largest to smallest in an Excel pivot table. We’ll also cover different sorting techniques, depending on your needs. By the end, you will master this feature, helping you better manage and interpret your pivot tables.

Why to Sort Largest to Smallest in a Pivot Table?

Pivot tables are one of the most powerful features in Microsoft Excel. They allow you to summarize, analyze, explore, and present large amounts of data. By default, pivot tables can arrange your data based on certain conditions like alphabetical order, but more advanced sorting is necessary when dealing with numerical values.

Sorting from largest to smallest helps to focus on key insights and recognize top-performing categories. For instance:

• In sales reports, you can easily identify the best-selling products.
• In financial data, you can determine the highest revenue-generating months.

Sorting is essential for reports that need a clear understanding of priority data points.

Step-by-Step Guide to Sorting Largest to Smallest in Excel Pivot Table

Step 1: Insert the Pivot Table

1. Select the data range: Ensure that your data is well-organized in tabular format with headers for each column.
2. Go to the Insert tab: In Excel, navigate to the Insert tab and choose PivotTable.
3. Select data range: A dialog box will appear. Ensure that the selected data range is correct.
4. Choose where to place the pivot table: You can place it in a new worksheet or an existing one.
5. Click OK: Once confirmed, the PivotTable Field List will appear on the side.

Step 2: Arrange Your Pivot Table

1. Drag and drop fields: Choose the fields that you want to analyze in the pivot table. Drag them into the Rows, Columns, and Values areas.

• For example, place Product Names in the Rows section and Sales Values in the Values section.

At this point, your pivot table should display the data, but it may not yet be sorted.

Step 3: Sort from Largest to Smallest

1. Click on any value in the column you want to sort: Click on the column that contains numerical data you want to sort.
2. Right-click on the values: After selecting a cell, right-click and choose Sort.
3. Choose Sort Largest to Smallest: From the right-click menu, select Sort Largest to Smallest.

Your pivot table will now sort the data from the highest value to the lowest, giving you a clear view of the largest contributors.

Alternative Ways to Sort Data in Pivot Table

There are various ways to sort data in a pivot table, depending on your data type. Below are some additional sorting techniques:

Sorting by Row or Column Fields

If you want to sort the row labels rather than numerical values:

1. Click the drop-down arrow in the row or column label area.
2. Select Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A, depending on whether you want alphabetical or reverse alphabetical order.
3. This will rearrange row or column labels based on your selected sort order.

Sorting Multiple Columns Simultaneously

In some cases, you may want to sort based on multiple columns:

1. Drag another field into the Rows or Columns section.
2. After sorting one column, you can manually adjust the sort order by repeating the right-click sorting steps for the secondary column.

Automatic Sorting Using Value Field Settings

Another method involves using the Value Field Settings:

1. Right-click on any value in the pivot table.
2. Choose Value Field Settings.
3. Click on the Sort tab, and from there, you can set sorting preferences to Largest to Smallest automatically.

This option gives you more control and ensures consistent sorting every time you refresh the pivot table.

Handling Data with Negative Values

Sorting from largest to smallest becomes slightly more complex when you’re dealing with negative values. Excel will still follow the general rules of sorting, where negative numbers are smaller than positive numbers. Therefore, when sorting by largest to smallest, the positive values will appear first, followed by the negative ones.

In this scenario, Excel will place Product A at the top, followed by Product B, Product C, and Product D.

Sorting Date Fields in Pivot Table

If your pivot table includes dates, you can also sort these from newest to oldest or vice versa.

1. Select the Date field in the Rows or Columns section.
2. Right-click and choose Sort Newest to Oldest or Oldest to Newest.

Dates will now be sorted in chronological order, either from newest to oldest or oldest to newest, depending on your selection.

Sorting Values Using a Custom List

Excel allows sorting using a custom list to provide even more control over the order:

1. Go to File > Options > Advanced.
2. Scroll down to the General section and click on Edit Custom Lists.
3. Create a new list with your custom order and then use this list to sort your pivot table data.

This is useful when you have a predefined order that isn’t based on size or alphabetical order.

Troubleshooting Common Sorting Issues in Pivot Tables

Despite the intuitive nature of pivot tables, users might still encounter sorting issues. Below are some common issues and their solutions:

1. The Sort Option is Grayed Out

This usually happens if you’ve selected the wrong part of the pivot table or your data is not in the correct format. Ensure that you have selected a numeric field to sort.

2. Sorting Doesn’t Change

If sorting doesn’t change after you’ve set it, ensure that the data field you are trying to sort is not duplicated. Duplicated fields might cause Excel to retain the original order.

3. Custom Sorting Does Not Apply

If your custom list sorting isn’t working, check that the data is formatted correctly and matches the custom list. Excel won’t apply a custom list to data that is formatted differently or contains extra spaces.

Best Practices for Sorting in Pivot Tables

• Always ensure your data range is correctly formatted.
• Use custom lists to manage special sorting needs, such as when you need to sort based on specific categories.
• Sort your data periodically after making changes to keep it organized and relevant.

Final Thoughts

Sorting Excel pivot tables from largest to smallest is an essential function for analyzing data effectively. By following the steps outlined above, you can quickly master this feature, making your reports more insightful and easier to understand.

In addition to basic sorting, you can leverage custom sorting methods, handle negative values, and sort date fields for a more tailored analysis. Whether you’re sorting sales, financial data, or any other set of numbers, Excel’s pivot table sorting features provide flexibility and ease of use.

FAQs

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.