Validate your YoY or MoM growth calculations before building them in Tableau
Calculated Growth Rate:
How to Calculate Growth Rate in Tableau
Understanding how to calculate growth rate is essential for data visualization. In Tableau, this is typically handled via Quick Table Calculations or Calculated Fields.
1. Using Quick Table Calculations
The fastest way to find growth in Tableau is to use the built-in features:
Right-click your measure (e.g., Sales) in the view.
Select Quick Table Calculation.
Choose Percent Difference.
By default, Tableau calculates this relative to the "Previous" value in the visualization.
2. Using a Calculated Field (Manual Formula)
If you need more control, you can create a calculated field using the LOOKUP function. The syntax follows this logic:
Handling Zeros: If your previous value is 0, Tableau will return a null or error. Use the ZN() function to handle nulls, or IF statements to check if the denominator is zero before dividing.
function calculateTableauGrowth() {
var current = parseFloat(document.getElementById('currentValue').value);
var previous = parseFloat(document.getElementById('previousValue').value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('growthResult');
var interpretationDiv = document.getElementById('interpretation');
var wrapper = document.getElementById('tableauResultWrapper');
if (isNaN(current) || isNaN(previous)) {
alert('Please enter valid numerical values for both fields.');
return;
}
if (previous === 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Undefined";
interpretationDiv.innerHTML = "Growth cannot be calculated when the previous value is zero (division by zero).";
wrapper.style.display = 'block';
return;
}
var growthRate = ((current – previous) / Math.abs(previous)) * 100;
var formattedGrowth = growthRate.toFixed(2) + '%';
if (growthRate > 0) {
resultDiv.style.color = "#28a745";
resultDiv.innerHTML = "+" + formattedGrowth;
interpretationDiv.innerHTML = "This represents an upward trend compared to the previous period.";
} else if (growthRate < 0) {
resultDiv.style.color = "#dc3545";
resultDiv.innerHTML = formattedGrowth;
interpretationDiv.innerHTML = "This represents a downward trend compared to the previous period.";
} else {
resultDiv.style.color = "#1f579c";
resultDiv.innerHTML = "0.00%";
interpretationDiv.innerHTML = "There has been no change between these periods.";
}
wrapper.style.display = 'block';
}