A histogram is a visual representation of the distribution of numerical data. It is a special kind of bar graph where bars represent “bins” that group together values at specific intervals. The height of each bar shows the proportion of values in that bin. Typically, there are no gaps between bins to represent continuous data.
In Excel 2016+, a histogram is built-in chart type.
Pros
- Simple to create in Excel 2016+
- At-a-glance visualization of the distribution of numerical data
Cons
- Less common chart type not as familiar to many people
- Built-in histogram chart type has limited options
The Treemap chart is a built-in chart type in Excel 2016+. A treemap chart displays hierarchical data in rectangles proportionally sized according to the amount of data in each category. Treemap charts are lacking many of the controls available in other chart types, but they are an interesting way to quickly visualize certain kinds of data.
Pros
- Quick visualization of hierarchical data
- At-a-glance breakdown data in categories
Cons
- Data must be sorted by category
- Missing many of the options available in other chart types
