Clustered Bar chart is a bar chart in excel which represents data virtually in horizontal bars in series, similar to clustered column charts these charts are easier to make but are visually complex and if there is a single category with multiple data it is easy to compare using this chart but as the categories increases the comparison becomes more complex.
What is the Clustered Bar Chart in Excel?
A clustered bar chart is a chart when bars of different graphs are placed next to each other.
It’s a primary type of Excel chart; it is used to compare values across categories by using vertical or horizontal bars. A clustered bar chart in excel displays more than one data series in clustered horizontal or vertical columns; clustered bar chart typically shows the categories along the vertical (category) axis and values along with the horizontal (value) axis.
- The data for each series is stored in a separate row or column.
- It consists of one or more data series.
- A clustered column excel chart creates a separate bar for each value in a row.
- Column charts are useful for showing data changes over a period of time.
- Charts depict data visually, so you can quickly spot an overall trend.
- Useful for summarizing a series of numbers and their interrelationships.
- A chart is linked to the data in your worksheet. If the data is updated or changed, the chart is automatically updated to reflect those changes.
- You can customize every aspect of your chart elements (Axis titles, data label, data table, error bars in excel, gridlines in excel, legend, trendlines) & chart’s appearance (including style & colors)
- Clustered bar chart data looks better when data points are limited (i.e., 12 months, 4 quarters, etc.)
How to Create a Clustered Bar Chart in Excel?
Step 1: Create Data in the below format. The below data shows yearly drug sales performance over a period of 4 years in a specific region. So now, let us present this in a bar chart with clustered columns.
Step 2: Selecting the data
The selection should include items such as row and column headings (Complete data range); it’s important to remember to include the row headings if you want to use those values as axis labels on your finished chart.
Step 3: Select the Insert tab in the toolbar at the top of the screen. Click on the Column Chart button in the Charts group and then select a chart from the drop-down menu. Select the Third column chart (called Clustered Bar) in the 2-D BAR Column section
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Step 4: Once you select a chart type, Excel will automatically create the chart and insert it onto your worksheet. Now you will see the bar chart appear in your spreadsheet with horizontal bars to represent sales data across the different regions.
Step 4: It has got unnecessary data that doesn’t belong in the graph, i.e., Totals by year & Totals by region. So, we can remove this data to correctly analyze the sales trend across the different regions, select the graph or click on the center of the graph or plot area to select data.
Step 5: Under the design toolbar, click on select data, pop up will appear, which contains column & row headings. Select Totals by year, on the left-hand side & click on remove; the same will disappear in the graph.
Click on Switch row/column, now the Total by region will appear on the left-hand side, click on it & select remove; the same will disappear in the graph. Again, click on the Switch row/column to get back to the original configuration.
Step 6: Row & columns can be interchanged by clicking on Switch row/column
Click on chart title & update it by Drug Sales by Region.
The Region labels are listed along the Y-axis. & Sales data are listed along the X-axis
Step 7: Visual Appearance of the Chart
The visual appearance of the chart can be updated by selecting the below-mentioned chart elements (Axis titles, data label, data table, error bars, gridlines, legend, trendlines)
PROS
- Simple and versatile
- The category labels are easier to read.
- Easy to add data labels at ends of bars
- Like a column chart, it can include any number of data series, and the bars can be’ stacked’ from left to right.
- Useful in showing data changes over a period of time
CONS
- Sometimes it becomes clustered with too many categories, or Become visually complex as categories or series are added.
- Clustered column charts can be difficult to interpret.
Things to Remember
- Before you plot your information on a chart, you should make sure your data laid out correctly. Here are some tips:
- Structure your data in a simple grid of rows and columns.
- Don’t include blank cells between rows or columns.
- Include titles, if you’d like them to appear in your chart. You can use category titles for each column of data (placed in the first row, atop each column) and an overall chart title (placed just above the category-title row).
- Before you can create a chart, you must have some data stored in the cells of a worksheet & Can be stored in any number of worksheets, and the worksheets can even be in different workbooks.
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This has been a guide to Clustered Bar Chart in Excel. Here we discuss its uses and how to create Clustered Bar Chart in Excel along with excel example and downloadable excel templates. You may also look at these useful functions in excel –
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