Area Chart
An area chart combines a line chart with a filled region below the line. The shaded area emphasizes the volume represented by the data, making the total quantity visible alongside the trend direction.
Area charts excel at showing trends and cumulative totals over time.
An example of an embedded area chart
Creating an Effective Area Chart
Recommended data types for each axis:
- X-Axis Dates or ordered categories
- Y-Axis Numerical values
Description
- Data points - individual values plotted at specific positions along the X-axis
- Line - connects the data points, showing the trend direction
- Shaded area - the region between the line and the X-axis, filled with color to emphasize volume
- X-Axis - typically represents time or a sequential category
- Y-Axis - represents the measured quantity; starts at zero
When to Use an Area Chart
- Show trends with volume emphasis - the filled area draws attention to magnitude as well as direction
- Visualize cumulative totals - the area under the curve communicates an accumulated quantity naturally
- Track a single continuous series - works well for metrics like revenue, downloads, or page views over time
- Highlight the difference between two values - a filled region between two lines makes the gap between them immediately tangible
When to Avoid an Area Chart
- Multiple overlapping series - overlapping fills obscure data; use a grouped line chart or a grouped area chart instead
- Categorical comparisons - use a bar chart when the X-axis is unordered categories
- Negative values - a filled area starting at zero is misleading when values go below the axis
- Many data series - use a grouped area chart when you need to break the data down by category
Further Reading
When to Use an Area Chart - a deeper look at area chart use cases, common mistakes, and alternatives.