{"id":19482,"date":"2022-06-17T11:03:44","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T11:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/?p=19482"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:46:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:46:55","slug":"year-over-year-comparison-chart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/year-over-year-comparison-chart","title":{"rendered":"The Tested and Proven Year-over-Year Comparison Chart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Some charts are better suited for visualizing year-over-year (YoY) data than others. In other words, they display insights in a clear and easy-to-follow way.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/year-over-year-comparison-chart.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/year-over-year-comparison-chart.jpg\" alt=\"year over year comparison chart \" width=\"650\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZyt4bCtjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-microsoft-excel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytncytjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-google-sheets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytwYitjZXhwbytQQkk1NitDb21wYXJpc29uKw==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-power-bi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Examples of yearly comparison charts include<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bridge or Waterfall Chart<\/li>\n<li>Slope Chart<\/li>\n<li>Comparison Chart<\/li>\n<li>Sentiment Trend Chart<\/li>\n<li>Progress Chart<\/li>\n<li>Matrix Chart<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The charts highlighted above are amazingly easy to read and interpret, even for non-technical audiences.<\/p>\n<p>Excel has very basic Slope, Comparison, Sentiment Trend, Progress, and Matrix Charts. Yes, the spreadsheet tool comes with pretty basic charts that need more time and effort in editing.<\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to do away with Excel. You can supercharge it by installing third-party add-ons to access ready-to-use and visually appealing year-over-year comparison charts. You can create a year-over-year comparison chart in Excel using chart add-on.<\/p>\n<p>In this blog, you&#8217;ll learn the following:<\/p>\n<h3>Table of Content:<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#year-over-year-chart-definition\">What is a Year-over-year Chart?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#year-over-year-(yoy)-growth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Year-Over-Year (YOY) Growth<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-calculate-yoy-growth\">How to Calculate YOY Growth?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#best-chart-for-comparing-yearly-data\">Best-Suited Charts for Comparing Yearly Data?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-compare-year-over-year-data-in-excel\">How to Compare Data from Different Years in Excel?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#video-tutorial\">Video Tutorial: How to Create Year-over-Year Comparison Chart<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#year-over-year-comparison-chart-objectives\">Year-over-year Comparison Chart Objectives<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#year-over-year-comparison-chart-advantages\">Year-over-Year Comparison Chart Advantages<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#wrap-up\">Wrap Up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Before jumping into the blog&#8217;s core, let&#8217;s address the following question: What is a year-over-year chart?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"year-over-year-chart-definition\">What is a Year-over-year Chart?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Definition<\/strong>: Year-over-year (YOY) charts compare data from one period to the prior one. The charts are widely used in discussing economic or financial data.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/year-over-year-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/year-over-year-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"year over year chart\" width=\"611\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"0 0 []\">YoY provides a high-level view of the performance between two financial periods. Besides, it offers comparison insights into financial performance using different <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/types-of-charts-and-graphs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">types of charts<\/a>. You can easily compare budget spending and return on investment between two distinct financial periods in marketing by leveraging the right types of charts.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"year-over-year-(yoy)-growth\">Year-Over-Year (YOY) Growth<\/h2>\n<p>Year-over-year (YOY) growth is a key performance indicator for comparing growth in one period (usually a month) against a previous one.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike standalone monthly metrics, YOY gives you a picture of your performance without seasonal effects, monthly volatility, etc. Besides, you can easily see a clearer picture of your actual successes and challenges over time. Unsurprisingly, this is a key metric for retail analytics.<\/p>\n<p>The most significant advantage of YOY growth is eliminating seasonality from your growth metrics.<\/p>\n<p>Most retailers see a sharp uptick in sales during the holiday season. This can give a false indication of massive growth on a single-month basis.<\/p>\n<p>However, these inflated numbers aren&#8217;t truly representative of growth over time. To better understand the data, you might want to create an Area chart or use a <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/price-comparison-template-in-excel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">price comparison template<\/a>. This can help you visualize the differences more clearly. If these numbers return to normal levels after the holidays, the chart will clearly show the actual trends.<\/p>\n<p>YoY growth is more than just revenue. You can measure myriad aspects of your development, namely: conversions, average sale value, and other related metrics.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>C<\/strong>hange in YoY Percentage<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The YoY percentage change denotes a change in percentage terms.<\/p>\n<p>For example, rather than using raw numbers to describe how much a company&#8217;s net profit climbed for January 2021 and January 2020, a year-over-year percentage change is expressed as profit increasing by 10%.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-calculate-yoy-growth\">How to Calculate YOY Growth?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Take your current month&#8217;s growth number and subtract the same measure realized 12 months before. If the difference is positive, your organization experienced growth; if it&#8217;s negative, that indicates a loss.<\/li>\n<li>Next, divide the difference by the prior year&#8217;s total number. This will give you the growth rate for your 12-month period.<\/li>\n<li>Multiply it by 100 to convert this growth rate into a percentage rate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let&#8217;s use a real-world example to illustrate this.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine your monthly revenues for January 2021 were $1,000, and revenues for January 2020 were $900.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start with subtraction, giving a year-over-year difference of $100 ($1000-$900).<\/li>\n<li>Divide $100 by $900, giving you a growth rate of 0.111.<\/li>\n<li>Multiply it by 100 for your final percentage growth rate of 11.1%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check out one of the examples of the yearly comparison chart\u00a0below.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/yearly-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/yearly-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"yearly comparison chart\" width=\"636\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>In the coming section, we&#8217;ll address the following question: what&#8217;s the best-suited chart for comparing yearly data?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"best-chart-for-comparing-yearly-data\">What are the Best-Suited Charts for Comparing Yearly Data?<\/h2>\n<p>Take a look at the table below. How easy is it to create a meaningful data story?<\/p>\n<table class=\"static\" style=\"table-layout: fixed; overflow-x: auto; border: 1px; font-size: 17px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\"><strong>Month<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"161\"><strong>Current Year <\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"198\"><strong>Previous Year<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">January<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">500<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">February<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">200<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">March<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">400<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">April<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">240<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">300<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">May<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">212<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">June<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">450<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">230<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">July<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">300<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">August<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">123<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">September<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">300<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">250<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">October<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">596<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">600<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">November<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">789<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">750<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"198\">December<\/td>\n<td width=\"161\">800<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">789<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Note the difference after visualizing the data using the following different <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/types-of-comparison-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">types of comparison charts<\/a>: <strong>Slope, Comparison, Sentiment Trend, Progress, and Matrix Charts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Waterfall Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/charts\/waterfall-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Waterfall chart<\/span><\/a>, also referred to as a\u00a0Bridge Chart in finance, is a dynamic visualization tool akin to a bar graph, revealing the evolution of an initial value through successive changes over time or categories.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/waterfall-chart-example.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4355\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/waterfall-chart-example.jpg\" alt=\"Waterfall Chart Example\" width=\"650\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>It provides a detailed before-and-after depiction of data, delineating each step in the journey and elucidating the contributing factors that either bolster or hinder the progression.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Slope Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/what-is-a-slope-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Slope Charts<\/a> (one of the best graphs for year-on-year comparison) are simple graphs that quickly and directly show transitions, changes over time, absolute values, and even rankings. Besides, they&#8217;re also called Slope Graphs.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/slope-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/slope-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"slope chart using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"646\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>You can use this chart to show your data&#8217;s before and after story of key variables.<\/p>\n<p>Use the chart if your goal is to show relative increases and decreases quickly across various categories between two data points.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to explain the value of and use case for slope graphs is through a specific example.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Comparison Bar Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chartexpo.com\/charts\/comparison-bar-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Comparison Bar Chart<\/a> is a visualization design that uses composite-colored bars to show comparison insights in a specified period.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/comparison-bar-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/comparison-bar-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"comparison bar chart using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"611\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZyt4bCtjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-microsoft-excel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytncytjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-google-sheets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytwYitjZXhwbytQQkk1NitDb21wYXJpc29uKw==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-power-bi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The graph is ideal if your goal is to compare more than two key data points. One of the significant advantages of the chart is it&#8217;s incredibly easy to read and interpret, even for non-technical audiences.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Sentiment Trend Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A Sentiment Trend Graph is one of the best data storytelling charts for demonstrating the trend of sentiments.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sentiment-trend-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/sentiment-trend-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"sentiment trend chart using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"611\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The visualization design, one of the best graphs for year-on-year comparison, is amazingly critical, especially if your goal is to track the rise and decline of key metrics, such as sales revenue, through an <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/exponential-growth-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exponential growth chart<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The line curve in the chart shows the overall pattern and <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/trend-analysis-in-excel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trend of a key variable<\/a> over a specified period.\u00a0The visualization design is incredibly easy to decode.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Progress Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A Progress Bar Chart (one of the year-over-year comparison charts) is a visualization design that displays the progress made in a task or project.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/progress-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/progress-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"progress chart using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"642\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>You can use the chart to monitor and prioritize your objectives, providing critical data for strategic decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/progress-bar-in-excel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Progress Bar in Excel<\/a> uses filled bars to display how much of the planned activity or goal has been completed.<\/p>\n<p>To access a ready-made Progress Bar Chart, we recommend downloading ChartExpo (which we&#8217;ll talk about later).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Matrix Chart<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/charts\/matrix-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matrix Graph<\/a> (one of the year-over-year comparison charts) can help you identify the presence and strengths of relationships between two or more lists of items. Besides, it provides a compact way of representing many-to-many relationships of varying strengths.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/matrix-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/matrix-chart-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"matrix chart using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"631\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Use this chart to analyze and understand the <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/best-graphs-for-comparing-two-sets-of-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">relationships between two or more data sets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The relationships between items are indicated by a number or color shade in the cell where each pair of elements intersect. For example, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/skills-matrix-templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skills matrix<\/a>, this visual representation helps identify the proficiency levels across various competencies. The matrix shape you should use depends on the number of elements you want to compare.<\/p>\n<p>In the coming section, we&#8217;ll address the following question: how do I compare year-over-year data in Excel?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-compare-year-over-year-data-in-excel\">How to Compare Data from Different Years in Excel?<\/h2>\n<p>Excel generates very basic year-over-year <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/charts\/comparison-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison charts<\/a>.\u00a0And this means you&#8217;ve got to spend extra effort and time editing the chart.<\/p>\n<p><em>You don&#8217;t have to undergo all this.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Download and install a particular <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/chart-add-in-for-excel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chart add-in for Excel<\/a> to access ready-made charts for data stories. In other words, add-ins in Excel help you access ready-made year-over-year comparison charts, such as Matrix, <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/dot-plot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dot plot<\/a>, and Progress Bar Graphs.<\/p>\n<p>There are thousands of add-ins purposely designed for Excel. To simplify things, we tested over 60 data visualization-based <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/add-ins-for-excel-mac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">add-ins for Excel Mac<\/a>, including those for creating a <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/radar-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Radar Chart<\/a>. We&#8217;ve narrowed down our results based on the following factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Ease of use, cost of access<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Quality of the visualization chart<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The size of the chart library<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/best-excel-add-ins-for-data-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Excel add-in<\/a> that met all our conditions is ChartExpo.<\/p>\n<p><em>Let&#8217;s take a closer look at ChartExpo.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>ChartExpo is an add-in for Excel with a super-friendly user interface, ensuring that any professional can visualize data, including <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/funnel-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">creating funnel charts<\/a>, regardless of their programming skills.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"54\" data-end=\"289\">The tool supercharges your Excel by expanding its library with a large number of visually appealing and ready-to-go year-over-year comparison charts in Excel, including formats like a <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/percentage-bar-graph\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">percentage bar graph<\/a> for clearer comparisons.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"291\" data-end=\"386\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">ChartExpo also contains many ready-made comparison chart templates that can help you save time.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZyt4bCtjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-microsoft-excel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytncytjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-google-sheets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytwYitjZXhwbytQQkk1NitDb21wYXJpc29uKw==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-power-bi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<h3>Example<\/h3>\n<p>This section will use a Matrix Chart to visualize the data below:<\/p>\n<table class=\"static\" style=\"table-layout: fixed; overflow-x: auto; border: 1px; font-size: 17px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\"><strong>Quarter<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"77\"><strong>Year<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"151\"><strong>Period<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"208\"><strong>Orders<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q1<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">2470<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q1<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2020<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">109<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q1<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">83<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q1<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2018<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">2030<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q2<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">2459<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q2<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2020<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q2<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">1200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q2<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2018<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q3<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">2256<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q3<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2020<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">112<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q3<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">190<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q3<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2018<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">2160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q4<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2021<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">1802<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q4<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2020<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">87<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q4<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">70<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"140\">Q4<\/td>\n<td width=\"77\">2018<\/td>\n<td width=\"151\">Current<\/td>\n<td width=\"208\">1500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li>Install the chart add-in for Excel by clicking <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZyt4bCtjZXhwbyswNTQr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">this link<\/a> to get started.<\/li>\n<li>Open your Excel and paste the table above.<\/li>\n<li>Open the worksheet and click the\u00a0<strong>Insert <\/strong>Menu button.<\/li>\n<li>Click the <strong>My Apps <\/strong>button.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/insert-chartexpo-in-excel.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size full wp image 4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/insert-chartexpo-in-excel.jpg\" alt=\"insert chartexpo in excel\" width=\"650\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Select <strong>ChartExpo<\/strong> and click the\u00a0<strong>Insert <\/strong>button to get started with ChartExpo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/open-chartexpo-in-excel.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size full wp image 4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/open-chartexpo-in-excel.jpg\" alt=\"open chartexpo in excel\" width=\"650\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Once <strong>ChartExpo<\/strong> is loaded, you will see a list of charts.<\/li>\n<li>Once the Chart pops up, click on Matrix Chart icon to get started, as shown below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/search-matrix-chart-in-excel.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size full wp image 4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/search-matrix-chart-in-excel.jpg\" alt=\"search matrix chart in excel\" width=\"638\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Click the <strong>Create Chart From Selection <\/strong>button to generate a visually appealing year-over-year comparison chart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/create-chart-in-excel-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/create-chart-in-excel-055.jpg\" alt=\"create chart in excel\" width=\"650\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Check out the final chart below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/matrix-chart-in-excel-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4345 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/matrix-chart-in-excel-using-year-over-year-comparison-chart-055.jpg\" alt=\"matrix chart in excel using year over year comparison chart\" width=\"647\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<h4>Insights<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>The 2019 financial year recorded poor results relative to the other periods.<\/li>\n<li>Between 2018 and 2021, the 1<sup>st<\/sup> quarter performed very well, apart from 2019.<\/li>\n<li>Only the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> quarter performed well in 2019.<\/li>\n<li>The worst performing quarters (1<sup>st<\/sup>, 2<sup>nd<\/sup><sup>,<\/sup> and 4<sup>th<\/sup>) were in 2019 financial year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZyt4bCtjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-microsoft-excel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytncytjZXhwbyswNTYr\" target=\"_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-google-sheets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/utmAction\/MTYrYmxvZytwYitjZXhwbytQQkk1NitDb21wYXJpc29uKw==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" src=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-in-power-bi.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"205\" height=\"113\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"video-tutorial\">Video Tutorial: How to Create Year-over-Year Comparison Chart<\/h2>\n<p>In the following video, you will learn how to create a year-over-year <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/comparison-charts-in-excel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">comparison chart in excel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9M_aZAjhaZE\" width=\"650\" height=\"365\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\u00ef\u00bb\u00bf<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Next we are going to learn when we need to use Year-over-year Comparison charts.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"year-over-year-comparison-chart-objectives\">Year-over-year Comparison Chart Objectives<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Objective #1: To understand long-term product health and performance<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Taking industry cycles into consideration allows you to compare big-picture growth accurately and scale.<\/p>\n<p>Suppose you&#8217;re working in a SaaS environment.<\/p>\n<p>In that case, tracking metrics such as Customer LTV gives you a long-term view of the relationship between retention and how much customers contribute to your bottom line.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Objective #2: To analyze changes from unforeseen digital behaviors or trends<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Metrics can vary dramatically between quarters, which often means seasonality is at play. However, if they change dramatically between years, you might consider looking deeper, perhaps by using a <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/mekko-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mekko chart<\/a> or other options to analyze the shifts across different dimensions and identify underlying trends.<\/p>\n<p><em>Did you try a new activation channel or growth tactic and see your conversions drop? <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps it&#8217;s an opportunity to iterate and experience.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"year-over-year-comparison-chart-advantages\">Year-over-Year Comparison Chart Advantages<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>YoY charts negate seasonality because they compare distinct moments in time.<\/li>\n<li>The charts also smoothen out volatility for net outcomes to be compared throughout the year.<\/li>\n<li>YoY charts are straightforward to generate, especially if you use ultra-friendly tools like ChartExpo add-in for Excel.<\/li>\n<li>You can easily convert YoY insights into percentages for more contexts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>FAQs:<\/h2>\n<h3>What are some alternatives to YOY growth?<\/h3>\n<p>While <a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/year-over-year-growth-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">year-over-year growth<\/a> is a critical calculation to track in your business, it can help you get a birds&#8217; eye view of your performance.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatives of year-over-year comparison charts include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Month-to-date (MTD) charts<\/li>\n<li>Quarter-to-date (QTD) charts<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/month-to-month-comparison-excel-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Month-over-month<\/a> (MoM) charts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What is the difference between YTD and YOY?<\/h3>\n<p>Year-over-year (YoY) charts track the performance of a particular financial year relative to the previous ones. On the other hand, the year-to-date (YTD) tracks performance from the start of a particular financial year.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, YTD and YoY are two different metrics, which means you need different charts.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"wrap-up\">Wrap Up<\/h4>\n<p>Some charts are better suited for visualizing year-over-year (YoY) data than others.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of YoY comparison charts include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bridge or Waterfall Chart<\/li>\n<li><em>Slope Chart<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Comparison Chart<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Sentiment Trend Chart<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Progress Chart<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Matrix Chart<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The charts highlighted above are amazingly easy to read and interpret, even for non-technical audiences.<\/p>\n<p>Excel has very basic <strong>Slope, Comparison, Sentiment Trend, Progress, and Matrix Charts<\/strong>. Yes, the spreadsheet tool comes with pretty basic charts that need more time and effort in editing.<\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to do away with Excel. You can supercharge it by installing third-party add-ons to access ready-to-use and visually appealing year-over-year comparison charts.<\/p>\n<p>We recommend you try ChartExpo because it&#8217;s one of the most trusted add-ins for Excel. Besides, it has a super-friendly user interface for everyone, irrespective of their computer skills.<\/p>\n<p>Create simple, ready-made, and easy-to-interpret graphs today using our chart add-in for Excel (ChartExpo).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><p>Click to discover the tested and proven year-to-year Comparison Chart. Also, we\u2019ll address the following question: what is a year-over-year chart?<\/p>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/year-over-year-comparison-chart\"><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[739],"tags":[842,843],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>The Tested and Proven Year-over-Year Comparison Chart -<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/chartexpo.com\/blog\/year-over-year-comparison-chart\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"The Tested and Proven Year-over-Year Comparison Chart -\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Click to discover the tested and proven year-to-year Comparison Chart. 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