How to Create a Stacked Bar Chart in Excel

If you are looking to create a stacked bar chart to visually represent data in Microsoft Excel, then you have come to the right place. A stacked bar chart is an excellent way to display the contribution of individual items in a category to the whole. It showcases the percentages or values of each item in the category, represented by a bar chart. With the help of Excel, creating a stacked bar chart is a simple and easily achievable task and can help in delivering your data in a concise and visually appealing manner. In this post, we will guide you through the steps involved in creating a stacked bar chart in Microsoft Excel.

Creating a Basic Stacked Bar Chart in Excel

Here’s a quick and easy way to create a stacked bar chart in Excel:

Step 1: Prepare the data

• Enter the data that you want to use in the chart into a spreadsheet. The data should be divided into categories with each category having its own subcategories that will be shown as segments of the stacked bar.

Step 2: Select the Data

• Select the entire data range that you want to include in the chart. This includes the category labels, the subcategories, and the corresponding values.

Step 3: Insert the Stacked Bar Chart

• Go to the Insert tab, click on the Stacked Bar option under the Charts section, and select the type of stacked bar chart that you want to use. The chart will be automatically inserted into your Excel sheet.

Step 4: Customize the Chart

• Customize the chart by changing the colors, labels, and other formatting options to your liking. Right-click on the chart to access the formatting options.

Advanced Customizations for Stacked Bar Charts in Excel

If you want to get more advanced with your stacked bar charts, here are some additional customizations you can use:

Stacked Bar Chart with Percentage Data Labels

• To show the percentage of each subcategory within the stacked bar, right-click on the chart and select the “Add Data Labels” option. Then right-click again on the data labels and select “Format Data Labels”. Finally, in the “Label Options” section, select the “Value From Cells” option and choose the cells that contain the percentages.

Stacked Bar Chart with a Secondary Axis

• If you have data that is in different units, it may be useful to have a secondary axis in your stacked bar chart. To do this, select your chart and go to the “Format” tab. Then, click on “Series Options” and select “Secondary Axis” for the series you want to appear on the secondary axis. You can also adjust the maximum and minimum values for each axis.

Stacked Bar Chart with Multiple Series

• If you have multiple series of data that you want to compare, you can create a stacked bar chart with multiple series. To do this, select your data and insert a stacked bar chart. Then, right-click on the chart and select “Select Data” to add additional series to the chart.

Using a Stacked Bar Chart to Compare Data

A stacked bar chart is an effective tool for comparing data, especially when you want to show how individual items contribute to the total. For example, you could use a stacked bar chart to show the sales figures for different products in each quarter of the year. The stacked bar chart would show the total sales for each quarter, with the total broken down into the sales figures for each product. This way, you can easily see which products contributed the most to the total sales for each quarter.

Another way to compare data using a stacked bar chart is to use a 100% stacked bar chart. This type of chart shows the distribution of each subcategory as a percentage of the total. This can be useful when you want to compare the proportional contribution of multiple subcategories to the total of each category.

Stacked Bar Chart Best Practices

While stacked bar charts are simple and effective, there are some best practices you should keep in mind to make sure your chart is accurate and easy to read:

• Make sure your data is accurate and complete before creating the chart.
• Label each subcategory of the chart clearly.
• Avoid using more than five to six subcategories per category to keep the chart from becoming cluttered and difficult to read.
• Start the y-axis scale of the chart at zero to avoid distorting the data.
• Use colors that are easy to differentiate and are meaningful in the context of your data.

In Conclusion

Creating a stacked bar chart in Excel is a great way to visually represent data and highlight the contribution of individual items to the total. By following these easy steps, you can create an effective stacked bar chart in just a few minutes. Remember to keep these charts accurate and to follow the best practices, and you’ll be well on your way to using data visualization to communicate more effectively.

FAQs

Here are some common questions about creating a stacked bar chart in Excel:

Can I create a stacked bar chart using only one data series?

Yes, you can still create a stacked bar chart even with only one data series. In this case, the segments of the stacked bars will represent the different categories within the data series.

Can I customize the width of the bars?

Yes, you can customize the width of the bars by right-clicking on the chart and selecting “Format Data Series”. From there, you can choose the desired width for the bars.

Can I use a stacked bar chart to compare more than one set of data?

Yes, you can use a stacked bar chart to compare more than one set of data by creating a chart with multiple series. Each series will be represented by a different set of stacked bars on the chart.

Can I use a stacked bar chart to compare data over time?

Yes, you can use a stacked bar chart to compare data over time by creating the chart with time categories on the x-axis and subcategories on the y-axis. This will create a horizontal stacked bar chart.

Can I add data labels to my stacked bar chart?

Yes, you can add data labels to your stacked bar chart to show the actual values or percentages for each subcategory. Just right-click on the chart and select “Add Data Labels”, then customize the formatting options as desired.