Chart type · Comparison
Ranked bars
Horizontal bars sorted by final value.
How to read it
Every bar starts from the same baseline on the same scale, so length maps directly to value. Compare lengths; the sorting is already done for you.
Best for
The default for comparing quantities — the most accurately read chart there is.
When not to use it
The values are nearly identical, or there are so many items that each bar becomes a hairline.
The common mistake
Starting the axis anywhere but zero. On a bar chart, length is the value, so a truncated axis multiplies small differences.
Examples
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Related chart types
- PodiumA top-three, medal-style ranking.
- Dot plotOne precise point per item on a shared axis.
- DonutA share-of-total ring that builds slice by slice, then pulls the key slice out.
- TreemapRectangles sized by share of the total — as a snapshot, a before-and-after morph, a two-level sector map or a zoom into one tile.
- Stacked barsComposition across categories, optionally as 100% stacks.
- WaffleA 100-square grid split across up to six groups.