Creating a 100% stacked bar chart

In a 100% stacked bar chart, the bars are split into colored bar segments placed on top of each other. Each bar height is 100%, and the colored bar segments represent the components' relative contributions to the total bar.


100% stacked bar chart

In the common stacked bar chart, described in Creating a stacked bar chart, the absolute values of the components make up the bars, which result in different bar heights. The 100% stacked bar chart differs from the common stacked bar chart by expressing the values of the components as percentages of the entire bar as shown above. This way the differences between the components are more put on view; not the actual values.

Prerequisites

A stacked bar chart is created.

Procedure

  1. Place the cursor on the Category axis.
    The axis is highlighted.
  2. Click the highlighted area to access a pop-up menu.

    Bar chart pop-up
  3. Select 100% stacked bars.

Example

Those taking part in a survey answered Yes or No to a question. Because there was an interest in examining any differences by cause of age, they were placed in age groups. How many answered Yes and No, respectively, is shown in the stacked bar chart split per age group.


100% stacked bar chart example 1

Changing the bar chart to a 100% stacked bar chart shows the Yes and No components' relative contributions to each bar.


stacked 100% bar chart example 2

The trend seems to be that the older participants, the more they answered No.