---
title: Average
description: Compute the average value of a field
canonical: https://docs.paradedb.com/documentation/aggregates/metrics/average
---

The following query computes the average value over a specific field:

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT pdb.agg('{"avg": {"field": "rating"}}') FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from paradedb import Agg, All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(agg=Agg('{"avg": {"field": "rating"}}'))
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id)
        .match_all
        .facets_agg(agg: ParadeDB::Aggregations.avg(:rating))
```

</CodeGroup>

```ini Expected Response
              agg
-------------------------------
 {"value": 3.8536585365853657}
(1 row)
```

See the [Tantivy documentation](https://docs.rs/tantivy/latest/tantivy/aggregation/metric/struct.AverageAggregation.html) for all available options.

## SQL Average Syntax

SQL's `AVERAGE` syntax is supported in beta. To enable it, first run

```sql
SET paradedb.enable_aggregate_custom_scan TO on;
```

With this feature enabled, the following query is equivalent to the above and is executed in the same way.

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT AVG(rating) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Avg
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(avg_rating=Avg('rating'))
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id).match_all.average(:rating)
```

</CodeGroup>

By default, `AVG` ignores null values. Use `COALESCE` to include them in the final average:

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT AVG(COALESCE(rating, 0)) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Avg, Value
from django.db.models.functions import Coalesce
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(avg_rating=Avg(Coalesce('rating', Value(0))))
```

```ruby Rails
rating = MockItem.arel_table[:rating]
coalesced_rating = Arel::Nodes::NamedFunction.new("COALESCE", [rating, Arel::Nodes.build_quoted(0)])

MockItem.search(:id).match_all.average(coalesced_rating)
```

</CodeGroup>