Chart type · Comparison
Stacked bars
Composition across categories, optionally as 100% stacks.
How to read it
Total length is the sum and each segment is one part. Only the bottom segment shares a baseline, so it is the only one that can be compared precisely across bars.
Best for
How the make-up of something differs between groups.
When not to use it
The interesting comparison sits in a middle segment — those float, and floating segments cannot be read against each other.
The common mistake
Normalising to 100% and then talking about growth. A percentage stack deliberately throws the totals away.
Examples
No stacked bars videos published yet. Browse the rest of the library.
Related chart types
- Ranked barsHorizontal bars sorted by final value.
- 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.
- WaffleA 100-square grid split across up to six groups.