# var_pop

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt)

---
title: var_pop
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
latest-redpanda-tag: v26.1.9
docname: sql/sql-functions/aggregate-functions/statistics/var-pop
page-component-name: cloud-data-platform
page-version: master
page-component-version: master
page-component-title: Cloud
page-relative-src-path: sql/sql-functions/aggregate-functions/statistics/var-pop.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/reference/pages/sql/sql-functions/aggregate-functions/statistics/var-pop.adoc
description: The `var_pop()` aggregate function calculates the population variance of a set of numeric values.
page-topic-type: reference
page-git-created-date: "2026-05-26"
page-git-modified-date: "2026-05-26"
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/sql/sql-functions/aggregate-functions/statistics/var-pop.md -->

The `var_pop()` aggregate function calculates the population variance of a set of numeric values.

## [](#syntax)Syntax

The syntax for this function is:

```sql
VAR_POP(expression)
```

## [](#parameters)Parameters

-   `expression`: Numeric expression or column.


## [](#examples)Examples

The following example uses a simplified version of the `film` table from the Pagila database, containing only the `title`, `length` and `rating` columns. The complete schema for the `film` table can be found on the [Pagila](https://www.postgresql.org/ftp/projects/pgFoundry/dbsamples/pagila/pagila/) database website.

```sql
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS film;
CREATE TABLE film (
  title text NOT NULL,
  length int,
  rating int
);
INSERT INTO film(title, length, rating) VALUES
  ('ATTRACTION NEWTON', 83, 5),
  ('CHRISTMAS MOONSHINE', 150, 7),
  ('DANGEROUS UPTOWN', 121, 4),
  ('KILL BROTHERHOOD', 54, 3),
  ('HALLOWEEN NUTS', 47, 5),
  ('HOURS RAGE', 122, 7),
  ('PIANIST OUTFIELD', 136, 7),
  ('PICKUP DRIVING', 77, 3),
  ('INDEPENDENCE HOTEL', 157, 7),
  ('PRIVATE DROP', 106, 4),
  ('SAINTS BRIDE', 125, 3),
  ('FOREVER CANDIDATE', 131, 7),
  ('MILLION ACE', 142, 5),
  ('SLEEPY JAPANESE', 137, 4),
  ('WRATH MILE', 176, 7),
  ('YOUTH KICK', 179, 7),
  ('CLOCKWORK PARADISE', 143, 5);
```

The following query uses the `var_pop()` function to calculate the population variance for the `length` column:

```sql
SELECT
    VAR_POP(length) AS LengthPopulationVariance
FROM film;
```

The query returns:

```sql
 lengthpopulationvariance
--------------------------
        1386.442906574394
(1 row)
```