A 100% Stacked Area Chart is a built-in Excel chart type, with data plotted as areas and stacked so that the cumulative area always represents 100%. Stacked Area charts can show a progression and composition over time, and the 100% Stacked Area Chart is meant to show the percentage that each component contributes when the cumulative total is not important.
Pros
- Can show trends over periods of time
- Can show component contribution changes over time
Cons
- Non-intuitive presentation may be unfamiliar to many
- Hard to read as data series are added
Chart Examples
Product mix over time
This is an example of a 100% stacked area chart. This tricky chart type can be quite hard to read. The idea is to visually show a percentage distribution across categories at specific intervals, but you lose the ability to compare absolute numbers, unless you add as data labels. In this case,...Read more
