How to Convert European Numbers in Excel (Comma Decimal)
European-formatted numbers — 1.234,56, 1 234,56 — land as text, and Excel either won't parse them or silently reads the wrong value depending on your locale. Here's why, and the one-click way to turn them into real numbers that sort and calculate.
Last updated: August 2026
| Before (text) | After | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.234,56 | → | 1234.56 |
| 1 234,56 | → | 1234.56 |
Why SUBSTITUTE chains fail
In European format the dot is the thousands separator and the comma is the decimal, the reverse of a dot-decimal locale. So 1.234,56 arrives as text, or Excel misreads it as a different value entirely. The DIY fix — nested SUBSTITUTE to strip the dots and swap the comma to a point, wrapped in VALUE — is brittle: it trips over the space thousands separator in 1 234,56, chokes on non-breaking spaces, and breaks the moment the column mixes formats.
The 1-click way — Tellsheet's Fix European Numbers
Select the column and run Fix European Numbers. It converts each cell to a real number — 1.234,56 becomes 1234.56 — handling dot thousands, the comma decimal and a space (or non-breaking space) separator. Turn on auto-detect per cell and a column mixing European and plain numbers is sorted out without pre-splitting. Pairs with Convert Text to Number and Change Sign.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert European numbers in Excel?
They use a dot for thousands and a comma for the decimal, so Excel won't calculate them. Fix European Numbers converts each cell to a real number in one click.
Why does Excel read 1.234,56 wrongly?
The dot and comma mean different things by locale, so in a dot-decimal setup it's unparseable text or misread until the separators are swapped.
Does it handle a space thousands separator?
Yes — formats like 1 234,56 with a space or non-breaking space are recognised, which SUBSTITUTE chains miss.
Can it detect the format per cell?
Yes — auto-detect reads each cell individually, so a mixed column is handled without sorting it first.
Related Excel guides
Fix European numbers in one click
Fix European Numbers turns comma-decimal text like 1.234,56 into real numbers that sort and calculate — with per-cell auto-detect.
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