Rounding Off

Sometimes numbers will be rounded up and sometimes they will be rounded down.

Whole numbers will often be rounded to the nearest 10, the nearest 100 or the nearest 1 000 - perhaps even to the nearest 10 000, or 100 000, or even 1 000 000. This depends upon the intended use of the information.

Rules for rounding

If the digit after the one being rounded is less than 5 (0, 1, 2, 3 or 4), we round down.

If the digit after the one being rounded is 5 or more (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9), we round up.

Examples:

• Rounding 76 to the nearest ten, gives 80 because 6 is greater than 5 (round up)
• Rounding 932 to the nearest hundred, gives 900 because 3 is less than 5 (round down)