Stacked Bar Chart
A stacked bar chart is a data visualization that extends the basic bar chart by dividing each bar into segments, where each segment represents a subcategory of the total value. The segments are stacked on top of each other (vertical) or end-to-end (horizontal), allowing comparison of both total values and the composition of each bar.
Definition
A stacked bar chart is a data visualization that extends the basic bar chart by dividing each bar into segments, where each segment represents a subcategory of the total value. The segments are stacked on top of each other (vertical) or end-to-end (horizontal), allowing comparison of both total values and the composition of each bar.
Examples
Revenue composition by year
Chart Visualization
This example includes an interactive chart visualization with 2 data points.
Chart type: bar
Usage
Best Used For
- Showing part-to-whole relationships within categories
- Comparing totals across categories while seeing composition
- Tracking changes in composition over time
- Visualizing hierarchical or nested data
Data Requirements
[Object]
Limitations
Important Considerations
- ⚠Difficult to compare segments that aren't aligned to the baseline
- ⚠Can become cluttered with too many segments
- ⚠May be hard to see small differences between segments
- ⚠Less effective when segments have very different scales
Best Used For
- Showing part-to-whole relationships within categories
- Comparing totals across categories while seeing composition
- Tracking changes in composition over time
- Visualizing hierarchical or nested data
