Salesforce Docs Portal

SKEWNESS_POP

Applies to: ✅ Data 360 SQL ✅ Tableau Hyper API

Computes the population skewness of input values. Skewness measures the asymmetry of a distribution: positive values indicate a longer right tail, negative values indicate a longer left tail, and zero indicates a symmetric distribution.

Syntax

skewness_pop(<expression>)

Arguments

Required

  • <expression>: An expression of any numerical type.

Returns

Returns a double precision value.

Returns NULL when fewer than three non-null input values are provided or when all non-null values are identical.

Considerations

  • Use SKEWNESS_POP when the data is the complete population of interest (for example, every order in a closed quarter). Use SKEWNESS_SAMP when the data is a sample drawn from a larger population.
  • Computes the Fisher–Pearson population coefficient of skewness, without bias correction.
  • For large row counts, SKEWNESS_POP and SKEWNESS_SAMP converge.
  • Ignores NULL inputs. Any NaN or infinite input propagates to a NaN result.

Examples

Calculate Population Skewness

Check whether last quarter's order totals are skewed toward a few large purchases.

SELECT skewness_pop(order_total) AS order_total_skew
FROM orders
WHERE order_quarter = '2026-Q1';

Skewness by Group

Compare the asymmetry of score distributions across cohorts.

SELECT cohort, skewness_pop(score) AS score_skew
FROM exam_results
GROUP BY cohort;

Related Documentation