Stacked Bar Chart With Multiple Series in Excel (2025 Update)
In this article, we will explore how to create a stacked bar chart in Excel with multiple series. Simply follow the steps below.
How to Create a Stacked Bar Chart in Excel With Multiple Series
To create a stacked bar chart with multiple series in Excel, simply follow the process below.
1. Highlight All Data
In our example, we have monthly sales data for various product categories from January to June. Each month is listed from cell A2 down to A7, and adjacent columns represent sales in dollars for Electronics, Clothing, Books, and Home Appliances. We want to visualize the distribution of sales across these categories over the six months using a stacked bar chart.
Select the entire range of data that will be used in the chart, including the month, electronics, clothing, books, and home appliances column headers.
2. Insert a Stacked Bar Chart from the Insert Menu
Go to the ‘Insert‘ tab on the Excel ribbon. Here, find the ‘Bar Chart‘ icon and click it to open the dropdown menu. Select ‘Stacked Bar,’ which will prompt Excel to create a chart using your selected data.
The chart will show each month’s total sales divided into different segments representing each product category.
3. Customize the Chart’s Appearance Using Chart Design Tools
With the chart now created, click on it to activate the Chart Tools on the ribbon. Under the ‘Chart Design’ tab, you can choose from various predefined styles and color schemes to enhance the visual appeal of your chart.
Experiment with different styles to see which best represents your data. In our case, we will choose ‘Style 4’ from the Chart Design.
4. Add Essential Chart Elements Such as Titles and Labels
To make your chart more informative and easier to understand, add titles and labels. Click on the chart and then on the ‘Chart Elements‘ button, which looks like a plus (+) sign. Here, you can add a main chart title, axis titles, and a legend.
For example, set the chart title to “Monthly Sales by Product Category”.
5. Personalize the Colors and Styles of Each Data Series
If you wish to customize how each product category is represented visually, right-click on any segment of your chart and select ‘Format Data Series.’ Here, you can change the color, add borders, or adjust the fill options for each category.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of how to make a stacked bar chart with multiple series in Excel. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to combine bar and line graph in Excel or our article on how to create a bar chart with multiple series in Excel.
