Summary

A stacked area chart is a primary Excel chart type that shows data series plotted with filled areas stacked, one on top of the other. A stacked area chart can show how part to whole relationships change over time. They offer a simple presentation that is easy to interpret at a glance.

Pros

  • Simple presentation can be red at a glance
  • Can show part to whole changes over time

Cons

  • Generally harder to add data labels since there is less white space available
  • Area charts can imply more data than actually available

Chart Examples

US Heroin Overdose Deaths

US Heroin Overdose Deaths

I first saw a reference to this data on the interesting News, in Data site. The data cited comes from the drugabuse.gov website, and is presented in a combo chart with columns showing overall heroin deaths and lines showing the male and female breakdown. As the site says, from 2002 to 2015 there was …...Read more