How to Make a Bar Graph in Excel
When you make a bar chart in Microsoft Excel, it lets you do things like compare data over time, visually track progress, and many other useful things. There are different types of bar graphs you can customize in Excel, but the simplest kind is a bar chart comparing values for individual rows in Excel. Here’s how to make a bar graph in Excel.
Compare Data With a Bar Graph in Excel
You can also compare data in columns by using a clustered bar graph in Excel. This is a great way to identify trends over time for multiple items.
Clustered Bar: Each selected label has an individual bar that visually displays the value.Stacked Bar: Individual label values are stacked on top of one another in a single bar.100% Stacked Bar: Individual label values are stacked on top of one another to represent the percentage of the total sum for each label.3-D Clustered Bar: Same as clustered but bars are 3-dimensional.3-D Stacked Bar: Same as stacked bar but bars are 3-dimensional.3-D 100% Stacked Bar: Same as 100% stacked bar but bars are 3-dimensional.
For example, if a teacher wants to follow a students grade averages each month, the teacher can use a spreadsheet with multiple columns for each month. The procedure below will produce a comparison chart with multiple clustered bars for each label over time.
Add New Columns to Existing Bar Graph
You aren’t stuck with the data you used to originally make your bar graph in Excel. You can add additional columns of data after the graph is in the spreadsheet.
