Buzz
Stacked bar charts, also known as stacked bar graphs, depict values as stacked columns. In this chart, adjacent data parts (for horizontal bars) or stacked on top of each other (for vertical bars, also known as columns). Excel users can create column charts, and even draw stacked bar charts in Excel using bars of the same color or similar symbols to represent similar components with different values. This allows users to observe changes in a series of data and where they occur.
Stacked Bar Charts on Excel
Guide to Creating Stacked Column Charts in Excel
Step 1: To create a stacked column chart, start by crafting a data table or opening previously created data. You can use Excel 2016 or Excel 2019 to open it.
Step 2: Assume you have a data table of student grades, as shown in the image below. Since the data is of the same category, you can merge them into a single column and create a stacked column.
Step 3: In the Insert menu on the toolbar, locate the Charts option. The Charts section offers functions to insert various chart types into your Excel file.
To insert a column chart, click on the column icon Insert Column or Bar Chart under the Chart section.
There are various types of column charts available, including 2D and 3D column chart styles.
In each type, there are charts representing numerical data and percentage chart types. You can preview the legend and temporary display of these charts by hovering over the chart icon.
Step 4: Once you've selected your desired chart, it will be inserted and displayed on the Excel content file. The current stacked column chart is in its preliminary form, and next, you'll need to adjust it to suit the shape you desire.
The quickest way to adjust the format and components of the stacked column chart is by using the navigation buttons located on the right side of the chart. You can easily enhance the chart by adding various elements, as demonstrated below when you check Data Labels - immediately, specific values of the stacked column arrays will be displayed directly on the columns.
Alternatively, you can utilize two dedicated functions for charts: Chart Design and Chart Format. Modify various formats, such as the chart Style for stacked column charts within Chart Design.
Step 5: Change the colors for the stacks of columns in Change Colors as illustrated below. Upon entering, you'll find a variety of color schemes to choose from.
Additionally, there is Add Chart Element for incorporating various components into the chart. As shown in the example below, when you add Data Table, you can create an additional data table right below the chart.
Step 6: If you want to switch to a different type of stacked column chart, click on the Change Chart Type icon as illustrated below:
Step 7: The Change Chart Type interface presents various types of stacked column charts for you to preview and choose from. There are both 2D and 3D formats, with a preview image available in the Preview section below. Once you've made your selection, click OK to apply the changes.
The final result is that you'll have the column chart exactly as you desire:
So, you've just completed the process of creating a stacked column chart in Excel. The steps are quite straightforward, aren't they? Through this guide, we hope users can efficiently transform Excel data tables into stacked column charts. Additionally, if you're unfamiliar with drawing circles, refer to the tutorial on how to draw a pie chart in Excel here.
