Excel Charts: Choosing the Right Chart Type

Chart Selection Guide

Column/Bar Charts

Best for: Comparing categories

• Column: Vertical bars
• Bar: Horizontal bars
• Use when: Comparing sales by region, scores by student

Line Charts

Best for: Showing trends over time

• Shows continuous data changes
• Use when: Stock prices, temperature, monthly sales trends

Pie Charts

Best for: Parts of a whole

• Limit to 6-7 slices maximum
• Use when: Market share, budget allocation
• Avoid when: Comparing similar values

Scatter Charts

Best for: Relationships between variables

• Shows correlation patterns
• Use when: Height vs weight, price vs demand

Area Charts

Best for: Cumulative totals over time

• Shows volume and contribution
• Use when: Stacked contributions to total

Quick Selection Tips

Purpose	Chart Type
Comparison	Bar/Column
Trend	Line
Composition	Pie/Stacked
Relationship	Scatter
Distribution	Histogram

Conclusion

The right chart makes your data story clear and compelling to your audience.