Would you like to learn how to create a Power BI column chart? In this Power BI tutorial, we will cover what a column chart Power BI is, Different types of Power BI column charts, and how to create a column chart in Power BI.
Also, we will see:
- Difference between column chart and bar chart in Power BI
- Power BI stacked column chart multiple values
- Power BI column chart sort x-axis
- Power BI column chart with 2 y-axis
- Power BI column chart width
- Power BI column chart space between bars
Column Chart in Power BI
A Power BI column chart is a data visualization technique in which categories are represented by vertical columns. The height of each column corresponds to the values being plotted. Therefore, a column chart is also known as a vertical bar chart.
There are 3 types of column charts available in Power BI:
- Stacked column chart: A stacked column chart is a type of chart where multiple data series are stacked on top of each other within each category in the vertical direction.
- Cluster column chart: A clustered column chart is a type of vertical chart where multiple columns are grouped into clusters. These columns share the same x-values and are presented side by side, allowing for easy comparison between different categories.
- 100% Stacked column chart: The Power BI 100% stacked column chart is utilized to display the relative percentages of multiple data series within stacked columns, ensuring that the total of each stacked column always equals 100%.
How to Create a Column Chart in Power BI
To create a column chart in Power BI, we will use the below Sales table.
Stacked column chart in Power BI
- Open Power BI Desktop and load the sales data using the get data option.
- To create a Stacked column chart in Power BI, select the visual from the visualization pane.
- You can see the blank Stacked column chart is added to the canvas.
- Then, drag and drop the Sales and Product Category to the Y-axis and X-axis.
- Now you can see the Power BI Stacked column chart is displaying Sales based on Product Category.
Cluster column chart in Power BI
- To create a Cluster column chart in Power BI Desktop, select the visual from the visualization pane.
- You can see the blank Cluster column chart is added to the canvas.
- Then, drag and drop the Sales and Product Category to the Y-axis and X-axis.
- Now you can see the Power BI Cluster column chart is displaying Sales based on Product Category.
100% Stacked column chart in Power BI
- In Power BI Desktop, to create a 100% Stacked column chart in Power BI, select the visual from the visualization pane.
- You can see the blank 100% Stacked column chart is added to the canvas.
- Then, drag and drop the Sales and Product Category to the Y-axis and X-axis.
- Now you can see the Power BI 100% Stacked column chart is displaying Sales based on Product Category.
Difference between column chart and bar chart in Power BI
Here, we will discuss some of the differences between column charts and bar charts in Power BI.
| Power BI Column chart | Power BI Bar chart |
|---|---|
| Column charts use vertical bars to display data and are used to compare values across categories. | Bar charts use horizontal bars to display data and are used to compare values across categories. |
| A column chart in Power BI can also be shown as a line chart. In a column chart, the Y axis typically displays a single value, whereas the X axis shows the category. | In a Power BI bar chart, the Y axis typically shows a category, whereas the X axis shows a discrete value. |
Power BI stacked column chart multiple values
Here, we will see how to create a stacked column chart with multiple values in Power BI.
In this example, we will use the sales table to create a stacked column chart with multiple values. It will look like the one below.
To create a stacked column chart with multiple values in Power BI, follow the below steps:
- In Power BI Desktop, load the data using the get data option.
- Then, select the Stacked column chart from the visualization pane.
- Then, drag and drop the Product Category to the X-axis and Sales, Profit, and COGS to the Y-axis.
- Now you can see the Power BI Stacked column chart with multiple values.
Power BI column chart sort x-axis
Here, we will see how to sort the X-axis in the Power BI column chart.
For example, we will use the sales table to create a Stacked column chart, and we will sort the X-axis.
To sort the X-axis in the Power BI column chart, follow the below steps.
- In Power BI Desktop, load the data using the Get Data option.
- Then select the Stacked column chart, select the Product Category and sales to the X-axis and Y-axis.
Now, click on the More option -> select the Sort axis, select the Product Category, and then Sort ascending.
Now, you can see the x-axis is sorted in the Power BI column chart.
This is how we can sort the x-axis in the Power BI column chart.
Power BI column chart with 2 y-axis
Here we will see how to show the 2 y-axis in the Power BI Column chart.
As in Power BI, we cannot show 2 y-axes in any of the column charts, so to workaround, we will use the combo chart. To create the combo chart, we will use the Sales table.
To create 2 y-axis in the Power BI column chart, for this, follow the below steps:
- In Power BI Desktop, load the data using the get data option.
- Select the line and stacked column chart from the visualization pane.
- Then, drag and drop the Product category onto the X-axis, Sales and Profit onto the Column y-axis, and Profit onto the y-axis.
- Next click on the Format pane, then expand the Second Y-axis, and enable the Values section.
- Next, expand the Lines section, and select the make the width 0 px.
- Now you can see the column chart with 2 y-axis in Power BI.
This is how we can show the column chart with 2 y-axis.
Power BI column chart width
Here, we will see how to change the bar width in the Power BI column chart.
To increase the width of the bars in the above Stacked column chart, follow the below steps:
- Select the stacked column chart in Power BI Desktop and click on the format pane.
- Expand the Columns section; here, expand the Layout section and decrease the Space between categories.
This is how we can increase the bar width of the column chart in Power BI.
Power BI column chart space between bars
Here, we will see how to space between bars in the Power BI column chart.
To increase the space between bars in the above Stacked column chart in Power BI Desktop, follow the below steps:
- Select the stacked column chart in Power BI Desktop and click on the format pane.
- Expand the Columns section; here, expand the Layout section and increase the Space between categories.
This is how we can increase the space between bars in the Power BI column chart.
Moreover, you may like some below articles:
- How to Create and Use Power BI Combo Chart
- How to Apply Conditional Formatting in Power BI Gauge Chart
- Gauge Chart in Power BI
- How to Create & Use Donut Chart in Power BI
- Create Stacked Funnel Chart in Power BI
Conclusion
In this Power BI tutorial, we saw how to create different types of column charts and the difference between the bar and column chart.
Also, we saw how to show 2 y-axes, sort the x-axis, and increase the bar width and space between bars in Power BI column charts.
After working for more than 18 years in Microsoft technologies like SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI), I thought will share my SharePoint expertise knowledge with the world. Our audiences are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. For my expertise knowledge and SharePoint tutorials, Microsoft has been awarded a Microsoft SharePoint MVP (12 times). I have also worked in companies like HP, TCS, KPIT, etc.
