Microsoft Excel is still one of the most widely used tools for analysis, reporting, budgeting, and day-to-day operational tracking. Below is a source-backed snapshot of how often people use Excel at work, how it’s distributed via Microsoft 365, and how central it remains in finance teams.
66%: of office workers use Excel at least once per hour (Acuity Training original research). Source: https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
38%: of total working time is spent using Excel/spreadsheets (same research). Source: https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
48%: of office workers have received formal Excel training (same research). Source: https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
2.6: spreadsheets open at any time on average (same research). Source: https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
Every 16 minutes: people look at a spreadsheet on average (3.8 times per hour) (same research). Source: https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
Over 450 million: paid Microsoft 365 commercial seats (Microsoft FY2026 Q2 earnings call, Jan 28, 2026). Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/fy-2026/earnings-fy-2026-q2
15 million: paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats (same earnings call; mentions “Agent Mode in Excel”). Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/events/fy-2026/earnings-fy-2026-q2
89%: of companies’ financial processes run on Excel, per a Datarails survey write-up (survey of 212 finance professionals in the US & UK; published Dec 11, 2025). Source: https://www.datarails.com/why-gen-z-and-millennial-finance-professionals-love-excel/
84%: believe Excel will remain as important or become more important over the next decade (same survey write-up). Source: https://www.datarails.com/why-gen-z-and-millennial-finance-professionals-love-excel/
Chart: How Intensely Office Workers Use Excel
Label
Bar
Value
Use Excel at least once per hour
66%
Work time spent in Excel/spreadsheets
38%
Have received formal Excel training
48%
Max = 66%. Widths: Use Excel at least once per hour 100.00%, Work time spent in Excel/spreadsheets 57.58%, Have received formal Excel training 72.73%.
Source (Acuity Training original research): https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/new-excel-facts-statistics/
Excel Reach via Microsoft 365
Excel’s distribution is closely tied to Microsoft 365. In Microsoft’s FY2026 Q2 earnings call (Jan 28, 2026), Microsoft said paid Microsoft 365 commercial seats grew 6% year-over-year to over 450 million. In the same call, Microsoft disclosed 15 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats and referenced “Agent Mode in Excel,” indicating continued investment in AI-assisted spreadsheet workflows.
Chart: Office Productivity Suite Adoption (Company Market Share)
Technographic tracking from Enlyft reports the following Office Productivity market shares (examples shown below) along with estimated company counts using each product.
Label
Bar
Value
Google Apps (Google Workspace) market share
45.58%
Microsoft Office 365 market share
29.48%
LibreOffice market share
0.03%
OpenOffice market share
0.03%
Max = 45.58%. Widths: Google Apps (Google Workspace) market share 100.00%, Microsoft Office 365 market share 64.68%, LibreOffice market share 0.07%, OpenOffice market share 0.07%.
A Datarails survey write-up (survey of 212 finance professionals in the US & UK; published Dec 11, 2025) reports that Excel remains deeply embedded in finance work. It notes that 89% of companies’ financial processes run on Excel, 84% believe Excel will remain as important or become more important over the next decade, and 82% report high or moderate emotional attachment. In the same write-up, 40% chose Excel as their favorite business software, rising to 57% among accountants.
Expect Excel to stay or grow in importance (next decade)
84%
High or moderate emotional attachment
82%
Accountants who chose Excel as favorite software
57%
All respondents who chose Excel as favorite software
40%
Max = 89%. Widths: Financial processes that run on Excel 100.00%, Expect Excel to stay or grow in importance (next decade) 94.38%, High or moderate emotional attachment 92.13%, Accountants who chose Excel as favorite software 64.04%, All respondents who chose Excel as favorite software 44.94%.
Datarails — “Why Gen Z and Millennial Finance Professionals Love Excel…” (published Dec 11, 2025): https://www.datarails.com/why-gen-z-and-millennial-finance-professionals-love-excel/
