Stacked Bar Chart Maker

Show totals and their composition

A stacked bar chart combines several series within each category. With nonnegative data, the complete bar shows the total and each colored segment shows a component. Positive and negative values are stacked separately around zero.

• Compare overall category totals using the complete bar lengths.
• Compare contributions within each total using the colored segments. Segments without a shared baseline are harder to compare precisely across categories.

Choose stacked, grouped, or 100% stacked

Use stacked bars to answer “How large is the total, and what makes it up?” A department budget split into fixed and discretionary spending is a typical example. Clearly label the units and segments.

Use grouped bars for precise comparisons of individual series across categories. Use 100% stacked bars when you want to compare relative proportions instead of absolute totals.