Stacked Bar Chart
A stacked bar chart is a specific type of bar chart that takes the concept of visualizing category comparisons a step further. Stacked bar charts are designed to help you see two things simultaneously:
- How totals compare across categories (represented by the height of the entire bar)
- How different sub-categories contribute to those totals
An example of an embedded stacked bar chart
Creating an Effective Stacked Bar Chart
Below are the recommended data types to show on each axis:
- X-Axis Dates, Categorical data
- Y-Axis Numerical values
- Group Axis Categorical data
Description
- Categories: Similar to regular bar charts, one axis represents categories of data.
- Values: Instead of individual bars for each category, the stacked bar chart uses segments within a single bar to represent different values.
- Stacked segments: Each segment within the bar corresponds to a sub-category or value component. They are stacked on top of each other, with their combined height representing the total value for that category.
- Colors: Different colors are typically used for each segment, making it visually clear which value contributes how much to the overall category value.
When to use a Stacked Bar Chart
- Compare parts of a whole: Unlike regular bar charts that show individual category values, stacked bar charts help you understand how sub-categories contribute to the overall category.
- Visualize proportions: The segments’ relative sizes within the bar immediately convey the proportional contribution of each sub-category to the whole.
- Identify dominant components: You can easily see which sub-category has the largest or smallest contribution within each category.