A horizontal bar graph (also called a horizontal bar chart) is an optimal format for comparing values across categories — visualizing complex data to make it easier to understand. It displays data using rectangular bars that extend horizontally from a vertical axis. The length of each bar is proportional to the value it represents, making it a valuable visual aid for understanding trends and comparisons in your data.

Whether you're comparing sales figures, customer feedback, or performance metrics, a horizontal bar graph can bring your data to life. By using Excelkits horizontal bar graph maker, you can create professional and compelling visuals, even if you've never worked with data before.

What Is a Horizontal Bar Graph?

A horizontal bar graph, or horizontal bar chart, is a visual representation of data where the data categories are listed on the vertical axis, and the numerical values are displayed as bars extending horizontally. The width of each bar represents the value being compared. This format is ideal when you have long category names or want to efficiently compare many categories.

What Are Horizontal Bar Graphs Used For?

Horizontal bar graphs are one of the most effective options for comparing categories, ranking data, and handling longer labels. They clearly illustrate variations, such as sales figures across different regions, with bars whose lengths represent values. This makes it easy to spot top performers at a glance. They also work well for ranking data like survey results or customer satisfaction scores, helping to identify leaders and those falling behind. Horizontal bar graphs are particularly useful when category labels are long, ensuring that they are easily readable. Their adaptability makes them a go-to for reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate data insights clearly.

How to Create a Horizontal Bar Graph

Creating a horizontal bar chart is a straightforward process, and digital tools make it easier than ever. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Choose a Horizontal Bar Graph Maker

Choose a platform like Excel, Google Sheets, or an online tool like Excelkits to generate your horizontal bar graph. Excelkits simplifies the process with an intuitive interface for uploading data and creating a professional look based on our selectable themes in minutes.

2. Enter Your Data

Input your categories and corresponding values. You can manually enter the data, upload files (XLSX, CSV, or Google Sheets), or connect to Google Drive for easy access to existing data.

3. Customize Your Graph

Personalize your graph by adjusting colors, adding labels, tweaking the axis, or applying trendlines. Excelkits allows for further customization, like changing padding or adding brand-specific elements to make it more polished.

4. Save and Share

Export the completed graph in formats like PNG or JPEG. Then, share it with colleagues, embed it in presentations, or include it in reports for a polished final product.

How to Make a Horizontal Bar Graph in Excel

To make a horizontal bar graph in Microsoft Excel, start by opening the program and entering your data in two columns: one for categories and the other for values. After inputting your data, highlight the relevant cells and go to the "Insert" tab. From there, select "Bar Chart" and choose the horizontal bar chart option. You can then customize your chart by adjusting colors, data labels, axis titles, and other features to meet your preferences. Finally, save or export the chart to share it as needed.

How to Make a Horizontal Bar Graph in Google Sheets

Google Sheets is another excellent free tool for creating horizontal bar graphs. Begin by entering your data into a new Google Sheets document, with categories in one column and values in the next. Highlight the data, click "Insert" in the top menu, and then select "Chart." Google Sheets will automatically generate a chart; if it isn't a horizontal bar graph, you can easily change the chart type to a bar chart using the "Chart Type" dropdown menu. Customize your chart' appearance by adjusting colors, labels, and titles as desired. Once you're satisfied with your chart, you can easily share or embed it directly from Google Sheets.

Excelkits: A Free Horizontal Bar Graph Maker

At Excelkits , we offer a user-friendly horizontal bar graph maker designed to simplify the creation of professional charts. Our platform stands out with its customizable features, allowing you to modify colors and data labels to fit your unique requirements. You can easily import data from various file formats, including CSV and XLSX, and even connect directly to Google Sheets for seamless integration. Our tool also provides high-resolution export options, ensuring that your graphs look great in presentations, on social media, or in reports.

Excelkits is a free horizontal bar graph maker that doesn't require any signups or downloads, By signing up for Excelkits , you can access our free horizontal bar graph maker, which includes essential functionalities for crafting and sharing eye-catching horizontal bar graphs. To unlock more advanced functionalities, you can upgrade to the full version. These include interactive dashboards that enhance your data visualization experience, making it ideal for dynamic and real-time data analysis. This empowers users to present real-time, responsive charts, making it ideal for advanced analysis and impactful presentations.