How to Plot a Segmented Bar Graph?

Analyzing part-to-whole relationships of key variables within your data is easier said than done. The situation is further made worse with an increase in the size of data.

It would really help if you had a chart that’s primarily designed to help show the comparison between categories within your data. Tables are not recommended, especially if the size of your data is enormous.

In other words, you need a Segmented Bar Graph.

The visualization design can help you display how a larger category is divided into smaller sub-categories and their relationship to the whole.

Each bar in a Segmented Bar Graph represents the whole. And the segments within the bars represent different parts that contribute to the aggregate value.

Data visualization tools, such as Google Sheets, come with basic Segmented Bar Graphs. Essentially, you have to do a ton of customizations and editing, which takes significant amounts of time. You can transform Google Sheets into a reliable tool by installing third-party add-ins.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

• How to plot a Segmented Bar Graph?
• We’ll address the following question:
  • What is a Segmented Bar Chart?
  • When should you use a segmented Bar Graph?
  • How do you make a Bar Graph with segments?
• Lastly, we’ll recommend the best tool to use to access ready-made Segmented Bar Graphs (also known as Stacked Bar Chart).

How to Plot a Segmented Bar Graph? Quick and Easy-to-Follow

Before jumping to the how-to guide, we’ll address the following question: What is a Segmented Bar Chart?

What is a Segmented Bar Chart?

The Segmented Bar Graph (also known as Stacked Bar Chart) is essentially an extension of the standard Bar visualization.

Each bar in the chart is divided into several sub-bars stacked end-to-end. The Stacked Bar Chart is best-suited for tracking the trends of key data points over time. Besides, it outperforms other visualization designs in displaying part-to-whole relationships.

Why?

The chart is easy to read and interpret. Besides, it can handle bulky data without appearing cluttered. You can leverage the chart to display how the composition of the subcategory changes over time.

To get the most from a Stacked Bar Chart, incorporate high contrasting colors to ease interpretation. Avoid almost similar colors because they may distort the composition of the respective bars.

Furthermore, numerical values ​​should be indicated within or above each subcategory to facilitate comparison. But be aware of using these annotations judiciously to avoid visual clutter.

For instance, the Segmented Bar Graph above depicts revenue from a fictional fitness retailer for a particular period of time, across two categorical variables: store location and department.

The primary categorical variable is store location.

Apple Road and Lime have the highest revenue. Each bar is subdivided into clothing, equipment, and accessories. According to the Segmented Chart above, equipment is the key driver of revenues for the brand.

Types of Segmented Bar Graph

There’re three types of Segmented Bar Graph, namely:

• Simple Segmented Bar Graph

The chart (mentioned above) places the absolute value of each subcategory after or over the previous one.

You can use the graph to show the absolute value of each subcategory and their totals relative to the aggregate value of the category. Usually, the bars have varying heights or lengths.

Just like a typical Bar Chart, the bars in this visualization design can be oriented horizontally (with primary categories on the vertical axis) or vertically (with primary categories on the horizontal axis).

• Hierarchical Segmented Bar Chart

Suppose variables in your data represent the whole that has been sub-divided into parts across two major categorical variables. In that case, your go-to chart should be the Hierarchical Segmented Bar Chart.

A Hierarchical Segmented Bar Chart is made up of bars split into subcategories.

Each of the primary bars may have a similar height but vary within subcategories. The aforementioned makes interpretation of sub-bars easier, especially when comparing multiple categories for in-depth insights.

• Percentage Segmented Bar Graph

Each primary bar in a Percentage Stacked Bar is scaled to have the same height. But its subcategories have varying heights depending on their respective numerical values.

Each subcategory within a Percentage Stacked Bar Chart adds up to 100%.

The similar heights of each primary bar create a baseline at the top of the chart, which eases interpretation.

Keep reading because we’ll address the following in the coming section: when should you use a Segmented Bar Graph?

When Should You Use a Segmented Bar Graph?

The chart places the absolute value of each subcategory after or over the previous one.

You can use this graph to show the absolute value of each subcategory and their totals relative to the aggregate value of the category. Usually, the bars have varying heights or lengths.

The key goal of a Segmented Bar Graph is to show part-to-whole relationships in your data. The chart can also be expressed in percentage form depending on the context. For instance, you can easily showcase the subcategories making the whole in percentages summing up to 100%.

The main objective of a standard Bar Chart is to compare numeric values between levels of a categorical variable. A bar is plotted for each level of the categorical variable.

On the other hand, a Segmented Bar Graph achieves the aforementioned objective and still targets the second goal—displaying relative decomposition insights.

The chart is plotted for each level of the categorical variable. More so, each bar’s length indicates the value of the variables under study.

Use the visualization design if your goal is to display the relative composition of key data points. You can also use the Stacked Bar Chart with multiple data to display comparisons between key data points.

So, how do you make a Bar Graph with segments?

How Do You Make a Bar Graph With Segments?

Google Sheets has inbuilt charts you can use to extract answers from your data.

However, you’ll never find a ready-to-use Segmented Bar Graph for your analysis. The most viable option available for you is installing a particular third-party add-on (we’ll talk about later) to access ready-made Segmented Bar Graphs.

You don’t need to do away with the Google Sheets in favor of other expensive tools.

We recommend you try the ChartExpo add-on for Google Sheets because of the reasons listed below.

ChartExpo does not require coding or programming skills, unlike other data visualization-based add-ons. More so, it has an ultra-friendly user interface (UI) for everyone to use.

This tool comes pre-loaded with over many ready-made charts to offset the missing ones in Google Sheets.

Use ChartExpo to produce Segmented Bar Graphs that are incredibly easy to read and understand.

Generating a Segmented Bar Graph should never be time-consuming. Use ChartExpo to overcome this. You’ll learn more about this cutting-edge tool in the next section.

So, what is ChartExpo?

ChartExpo comes as an add-on for Google Sheets.

Essentially, it turns your Google Sheets into a usable data visualization tool capable of delivering hidden insights into your data, irrespective of the size or complexity.

The premium Segmented Bar Graph Maker comes with a 7-day free trial period.

The key benefit of ChartExpo is the fact that it produces charts that are easy to read and interpret. More so, it allows you to save charts in the world’s most recognized formats, namely PNG, SVG, PDF, and JPG.

Example

This section will use a Segmented Bar Graph (also known Stacked Bar Chart) to visualize the data below.

Quarters	Items	Los Angeles	Houston	Chicago	New York
Q1	Notepad	571	535	93	308
Q1	Pencil	83	701	744	518
Q1	Whitener	756	569	385	227
Q2	Notepad	640	279	497	628
Q2	Pencil	700	525	131	137
Q2	Whitener	497	728	151	768
Q3	Notepad	441	707	405	707
Q3	Pencil	686	551	428	512
Q3	Whitener	561	404	146	612
Q4	Notepad	366	739	432	571
Q4	Pencil	84	86	151	98
Q4	Whitener	95	152	117	104

To Get Started with the Segmented Bar Chart, install the ChartExpo add-on for Google Sheets from this link and then follow the simple and easy steps below.

• Click the Extensions button>Charts, Graphs, & Visualization by ChartExpo button>Open.

• Click the Add New Chart button to access your fully stocked library of charts.

• Once ChartExpo is loaded, you will see a list of charts.

• Look for “Stacked Bar Chart” in the list of charts.

• Select the sheet holding your data and select the Metrics Fill in the numerical numbers (in our scenario, we’ll fill in: New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles).
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data (in our example, we’ll quarters and items).

• Finish the simple process by clicking the Create Chart button.
• Check out the final chart below.

Insights

• The worst-performing location was Chicago.
• The worst-performing quarter of the financial year was Q4.
• Pencils had abysmal performance in Q1 and Q4.
• New York performed well with the exception of pencil in Q2.
• Notebook was among the best performing product for the brand.

Stacked Bar Chart Best Practices

• Avoid adding multiple subcategories because they can create clutter. More than five levels in stacking can confuse the audience.
• Start the baseline at 0. If the bars are truncated, the actual value is not properly reflected. If some of your data have negative values, plot them below or at the left of a highlighted zero baseline.
• The order of stacking in a Segmented Bar Graph should be organized in a way that there’s no implicit order in the second categorical variable (when they are not ordinal categorical variables) to facilitate the storytelling.
• Better comparisons are made within the subcategories indicated near the 0 baselines. As the stacking elevates, the differences or contributions between subcategories become a challenge to read.

Besides, you cannot compare corresponding segments rigorously because they depart from different baselines.

• If one of the categorical variables is related to time (years, months, days, temporal ranges), set it as the main category and plot on the horizontal axis.
• If your data has more than 3 subcategories, use stacked area charts or stacked densities charts.

FAQs:

Does Segmented Bar Graph work with categorical data?

Yes, The Segmented Bar Graph (also known as Stacked Bar Chart) works well with categorical data types.

Each bar in this chart is divided into several sub-bars stacked end-to-end. Use the graph if your goal is to display a part-to-whole relationship.

When should you use a Segmented Bar Graph?

You can use the Segmented Bar Graph to show the absolute value of each subcategory and their totals relative to the aggregate value of the category.

In other words, the key goal of a Segmented Bar Graph is to show part-to-whole relationships in your data.

Wrap Up

Analyzing part-to-whole relationships of key variables within your data is easier said than done. The situation is further made worse with the increase in the size of data.

It would help if you had a chart that’s primarily designed to help show a comparison between categories within your data. Tables are not recommended, especially if the size of your data is enormous.

In other words, you need a Segmented Bar Graph.

The visualization design can help you display how a larger category is divided into smaller sub-categories and their relationship to the aggregate value. Each bar in a Segmented Bar Graph represents the total value.

Data visualization tools, such as Google Sheets, come with basic Segmented Bar Graphs. Essentially, you have to do a ton of customizations and editing, which takes significant amounts of time.

So, what’s the solution?

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, into your Google Sheets to access ready-made and visually appealing Segmented Bar Graphs.

ChartExpo is a Google Sheets-based add-on that’s loaded with an insightful and easy to interpret Stacked Bar Chart, many ready-made charts. You actually don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using the tool in your Google Sheets.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access easy-to-interpret, ready-made, and visually appealing Segmented Bar Charts for your data story.