How to Brand a Histogram Chart  in Excel [Footstep–By–Step]

Written by co-founder Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Office Specialist.

A histogram is the best chart yous tin use to illustrate the frequency distribution of your data .

Before Excel 2022, making a histogram is a bit dull. But at present, yous tin can make one in a matter of seconds.

In this article, nosotros'll look a bit deeper at what histogram is, its advantages, when not to utilize it, and how to make one.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

*This tutorial is for Excel 2022/Microsoft 365 (for Windows). Got a different version? No problem, y'all can however follow the exact same steps.

Free video on histograms

Watch my video and learn how to use histograms in just 2½ minutes.

Prefer text over video? Then continue below!

What Is a Histogram?

A histogram is a popular analysis tool used in the business world.

Basically, it is a representation of data points into ranges . It compresses the data for easy interpretation past group the points into ranges or bins.

To apply a histogram, you accept to brand certain you lot can "bin" the values of your information (or split up them into ranges).

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

With this, yous're able to come across and interpret the frequency — the underlying distribution of your information.

Histograms answer the question: "how many points vest to what range" .

Why Apply a Histogram?

Despite the dissimilar visuals and charts in Excel, why use a histogram? What tin yous possibly gain from it?

Here are some advantages of a histogram:

1. Spot and runway special trends

If y'all're plotting a fourth dimension-related data, a histogram can assistance you spot and track trends.

For case, y'all noticed that the complaints y'all received every month seem to have a design. Then, yous started tracking the number of complaints you receive over a 12-month flow.

Plotting the distribution frequency of the complaints might reveal specific months when the number of complaints spike.

ii. Checking Distribution Equality

Histograms are a great way to verify the equality of data points distribution.

From a glance, you'll immediately run into whether you lot had equal distribution or non.

three. Data Spread

Basically, the bars in a histogram represents the data points belonging to that range.

One look and you lot'll know how the data is spread amidst the ranges.

Now that you know why histograms are useful, allow'southward talk nigh how to create i.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Become your Costless exercise file

Earlier y'all start:

Throughout this guide, y'all need a information set to practise.

I've included one for you (for free).

Download it right below!

Download the FREE Practise File

Download exercise file

Using the Built-In Histogram Nautical chart

This is the easiest and fastest manner to make a histogram in Excel. However, just Excel 2022 version and above have this capability.

To start, let's say you're someone who only took over a software company called 'Digital Maker' with 150 employees.

Now, you wanted to see the salary distribution on the company and then you asked the HR to give yous a copy.

Here'south a re-create of the spreadsheet they gave you (the 60 minutes asked to blot out the names of the employees for their sake 😉):

data overview for this exercise

The first step is to highlight the range of data including the headers. In this case, it's A2:B152 .

highlighting the data for this exercise

Pro Tip: Extend the Selection to the Last Cell Downwards

If y'all accept large information, using a mouse would only tedious you downwardly. Use keyboard shortcuts instead.

Hold down Shift and click the first cells of the columns that have your data. In this example, information technology'due south A2 and B2 .

Then, while still holding downwardly Shift, hold Ctrl (Command for Mac) + Arrow Down .

extend the selection to the last cell down by holding control, shift, and arrow down

Afterward you highlight the information, click 'Insert' from the tab list .

insert option on the tab list

Afterwards that, click on the 'Insert Statistic Chart' and select Histogram' .

histogram under the insert statistic chart option

Now you have a histogram based on the data set.

excel 2022 histogram

Irresolute the Axis Formats

There are times when you have to change how the values are presented in the chart.

Excel automatically computes the best values to testify in the vertical centrality and horizontal axis of your histogram.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

If you need to modify them, y'all tin can do and so hands

For instance, you lot want to change the maximum value displayed on the vertical axis to 50.

Right-click on anywhere on the vertical centrality and select 'Format Axis' from the dropdown . This volition open a window on the right-hand side of your screen.

right-click anywhere on the axis and select format axis from the dropdown

Then, change the 'Maximum' value to 50 and press Enter .

change the maximum value and press enter

If you determine afterwards on to restore the value to what Excel initially computed , go back to this window and press the 'Reset' buttonbeside it.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Of course, you can also alter the number of bins and the bin width of your histogram.

To do so, right-click on anywhere on the horizontal axis and select 'Format Centrality' from the dropdown . Like before, this will open a window on the correct-paw side of your screen.

right-click anywhere on the axis and select format axis from the dropdown

To change the bin width, replace the number abreast 'Bin width' with what yous take in mind and printing Enter .

Let's say y'all want to modify it to 500.

replace the value beside bin width and press enter

The bin width is the size of your bins. Information technology'southward the deviation betwixt the ranges showed.

The default is 590 which gives you bins like [2,031, ii,621], [2,621, 3,211], etc…

bin width on a histogram

Later changing the width to 500, information technology becomes [2,031, 2,531], [ii,531, 3,031], etc…

difference in bin width after changing to 500

Yous can change the number of bins in the same fashion.

Let's say you want to have 7 bins, then merely change the current 'Number of bins' and press Enter .

change the current number of bins and press enter

Of class, doing this will change the bin width and sometimes, the frequency too.

Here's what information technology currently looks with 6 bins:

with only 6 bins

Afterward changing it to 7 bins, here'southward how information technology looks at present:

chart with 7 bins

When Non to Utilize a Histogram?

Knowing when to utilise 1 is important. Simply it'south also imperative to sympathize when y'all shouldn't.

Because histograms are designed to show the distribution of frequencies (but), you can't wait to see individual data on specific points.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

If that's what y'all need, y'all're better off using a bar graph .

Histograms are dissimilar from pie charts . Although both offering visualization of groupings, they don't have the same purpose.

Pie charts are used to illustrate the relationship of a point against the full whole.

Lastly, a histogram can't be used to show changes over time. You can only meet the distribution of points over a time menstruation. Line charts are the best tool for such a job.

Conclusion

Histograms outshine other graphs at presenting the distribution frequency of a information . And with the recent addition of Excel's built-in Histogram nautical chart, you can create one in merely a matter of seconds.

When in uncertainty, check first if the purpose y'all have in mind is related to your data's distribution frequency . If yep, then a histogram is what you need.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto