Area charts

You can use area charts to emphasize the magnitude of change over time and the total value across a trend. You can also use area charts to show the relationship of parts to a whole. Data in columns or rows on a sheet can be transformed into an area chart.

Area charts emphasize trends and totals in data over time by highlighting the area under the line created by each data series.

Area charts have two chart subtypes:
  • Area area
    You can use an area chart to display the trend of values over a period of time and other category data.
    Tip: You should consider using a line chart instead of a non-stacked area chart, because the data from one series can be obscured by data from another series.
  • Stacked area stacked area

    You can use a stacked area chart to display the contribution of each value over a period time and other category data.

    Note: In a stacked area chart, the area at the end determines the look of the other areas. Put the area you want to emphasize at the end, or put the smoothest area there.