How to Quickly Run a Table of Means IBM SPSS Statistics

This Tech Tip focuses on one of the most used and valuable procedures in SPSS: generating a table of means. This is a fundamental step in exploratory data analysis, allowing analysts to quickly summarise means and compare means across categorical variable(s). Analysts and researchers can also create customised tables of means using the options available within the Means procedure. 

This Tech Tip focuses on one of the most common and essential tasks: importing data from Excel files into IBM SPSS Statistics. Analysts often work To enhance your experience with IBM SPSS Statistics, the Version 1 SPSS experts have developed a series of Tech Tips designed to streamline your workflow and boost your confidence in data analysis. IBM SPSS Statistics offers a powerful, integrated interface for conducting descriptive statistics, regression analysis, advanced analytics, and machine learning all within a single environment. Its seamless integration with open-source tools and intuitive help features ensures that analysts and researchers are well-equipped for any data-driven task. 

To begin, follow these steps: 

1. Navigate to Analyze > Compare Means and Proportions > Means. 

2. Select the numeric variables you want to analyse (e.g., age, years of education, TV hours per day). 

3. Click the Options button to customise the output table. Here, analysts can choose from multiple cell statistics such as standard deviation, number of cases, and more – helping tailor the output to specific analytical needs. 

4. Click OK to run the procedure. 

The resulting table appears immediately in the SPSS Output Viewer and can be used for reporting, further analysis, or exported for presentation. Another useful tip is to run the means table against a categorical variable. By using the Independent List option, users can compare means across categories of a variable for deeper insights. 

Whether you’re conducting a quick data check or preparing data for more advanced modelling, the Means procedure offers a fast, customisable, and reliable way to understand your data and communicate insights clearly.