How to Make a Histogram Chart  in Excel [Footstep–By–Stride]

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

A histogram is the all-time chart you can utilize to illustrate the frequency distribution of your data .

Earlier Excel 2016, making a histogram is a flake tedious. Simply now, yous can brand one in a matter of seconds.

In this article, nosotros'll expect a scrap deeper at what histogram is, its advantages, when non to use it, and how to make ane.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

*This tutorial is for Excel 2019/Microsoft 365 (for Windows). Got a different version? No problem, you can still 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? And so continue below!

What Is a Histogram?

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

Basically, it is a representation of information points into ranges . Information technology compresses the data for piece of cake estimation by grouping the points into ranges or bins.

To use a histogram, yous accept to make sure you lot tin can "bin" the values of your data (or split up them into ranges).

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

With this, y'all're able to encounter and interpret the frequency — the underlying distribution of your information.

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

Why Use a Histogram?

Despite the different visuals and charts in Excel, why use a histogram? What can you possibly gain from it?

Here are some advantages of a histogram:

1. Spot and track special trends

If you lot're plotting a fourth dimension-related data, a histogram tin help you lot spot and track trends.

For instance, you noticed that the complaints y'all received every month seem to have a design. And so, you started tracking the number of complaints you lot receive over a 12-month menstruum.

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

2. Checking Distribution Equality

Histograms are a swell style to verify the equality of information points distribution.

From a glance, you'll immediately encounter whether you had equal distribution or not.

iii. Data Spread

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

Ane await and y'all'll know how the data is spread among the ranges.

Now that you know why histograms are useful, let's talk about how to create one.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Become your FREE practice file

Before you start:

Throughout this guide, you need a information set to practice.

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

Download it right beneath!

Download the FREE Exercise File

Download exercise file

Using the Built-In Histogram Nautical chart

This is the easiest and fastest style to make a histogram in Excel. However, only Excel 2016 version and in a higher place take this adequacy.

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

Now, you wanted to run across the salary distribution on the visitor so yous asked the HR to give you a copy.

Here's a copy of the spreadsheet they gave you (the Hr asked to blot out the names of the employees for their sake 😉):

data overview for this exercise

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

highlighting the data for this exercise

Pro Tip: Extend the Pick to the Last Cell Downward

If you take big information, using a mouse would merely slow you down. Apply keyboard shortcuts instead.

Hold downward Shift and click the beginning cells of the columns that have your data. In this case, it's A2 and B2 .

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

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

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

insert option on the tab list

Later on 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 ready.

excel 2019 histogram

Irresolute the Centrality Formats

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

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

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

If you need to change them, y'all tin can do so easily

For instance, y'all want to modify the maximum value displayed on the vertical axis to 50.

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

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

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

change the maximum value and press enter

If you make up one's mind later on on to restore the value to what Excel initially computed , go back to this window and printing the 'Reset' buttonbeside it.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Of course, yous can also change the number of bins and the bin width of your histogram.

To do and so, right-click on anywhere on the horizontal axis and select 'Format Axis' from the dropdown . Similar earlier, this will open a window on the right-mitt 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 beside 'Bin width' with what you accept in mind and printing Enter .

Permit's say you want to modify it to 500.

replace the value beside bin width and press enter

The bin width is the size of your bins. It's the difference between the ranges showed.

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

bin width on a histogram

Afterward irresolute the width to 500, information technology becomes [2,031, 2,531], [two,531, three,031], etc…

difference in bin width after changing to 500

Y'all tin change the number of bins in the same way.

Let'southward say you desire to have vii bins, then just modify the electric current 'Number of bins' and press Enter .

change the current number of bins and press enter

Of course, doing this volition alter the bin width and sometimes, the frequency too.

Here's what it currently looks with 6 bins:

with only 6 bins

After changing it to 7 bins, here's how information technology looks at present:

chart with 7 bins

When Not to Utilize a Histogram?

Knowing when to use one is of import. But it's also imperative to sympathise when you lot shouldn't.

Because histograms are designed to evidence the distribution of frequencies (only), yous can't look to see individual data on specific points.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

If that'southward what you demand, you're improve off using a bar graph .

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

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

Lastly, a histogram can't be used to evidence changes over fourth dimension. You can only see the distribution of points over a time flow. 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'due south congenital-in Histogram chart, y'all tin create one in but a matter of seconds.

When in doubt, cheque first if the purpose y'all accept in heed is related to your information'south distribution frequency . If yep, then a histogram is what y'all need.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto